Like Father, Like Son
by starglow71
Summary: Michael Anderson has a problem only Bobby Singer can help with. Can Bobby help his friend save one he loves or is it all lost? He calls in some help in the form of Nancy, Sam, and Dean. Will it work?  some language, just some ritual and power. no Wincest
1. A Friend Comes Calling

**Like Father, Like Son**

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or Storm of the Century. Neither do I own the characters in them. They just begged to be written and so I complied.

Characters: Michael Anderson, Ralphie Anderson, Bobby Singer, Nancy, and Sam and Dean, of course!

Plot: A demon took his son and nearly destroyed him. Now Michael Anderson will do what it takes. It just so happens he knows just the man for the job.

(Bobby had worked a case on Little Tall Island a few years back and had saved the Anderson family from a nest of vampires that were seeking to make the remote island their own private paradise. After that, he told Mike to let him know if he needed anything.)

Please review and let me know your thoughts on this story.

There is no real language, but I will make it T just in case.

Michael Anderson had to fight to recover the pieces of his life. Like a puzzle that gets tossed and spilled, a piece gets lost sometimes and cannot be found. Other pieces seem lost but are found later. With blood, pain, and a dash of despair, Michael faced evil and had to fight his way back to survive. It nearly took his sanity and it took something more precious, his son.

Michael Anderson had faced evil and lost. He had lost everything. Now, He wanted to catch that demon and get it back. It would not be easy and it may take time but he would do that. He just had to make a phone call.

"Hello." Came a gravelly voice on the other end of the line.

"Bobby, this is Michael Anderson. You remember me?" He waited for the reply.

"Mike!" Bobby exclaimed cheerfully, "Yep, I do. What do ya need?" Michael relaxed a little.

"Your offer to help. Does that still stand?" Mike asked, hoping the old man had not changed his mind.

"Yep. " Bobby said, going into hunter mode, "When do you want to meet?"

"I'm on my way. Be there in five." Mike's Maine accent strong. His voice full of pain and sadness. "I am ready."

"Good, cause I got it all ready. Got ya some help, too." Bobby said, as voices of two men bickering in the background floated by and then faded. Mike could hear the resolve in his voice. "This ain't gonna be easy, Mike." His voice was hard and solemn.

"It never is." Mike said as he pulled into the salvage yard. "I'm here, pulling in now."

Bobby hung up and went to the door. The boys would definitely like this guy; he was a bit like their dad and in the same situation, too.

Sam and Dean listened to Michael's story with opposite reactions, neither one was good. Dean was angry and wanted to start the hunt immediately. Sam was pale and shaking, and furious. Yellow eyes had did the same thing to their family.

"I thought I was done paying, I really did. I wasn't though. I found the demon last week walking down the street and tried to stop it." The boys looked at him like he was crazy. They understood him all too well. "My boy is like him! I was in shock and when I almost had him, he was gone. Poof!" Mike had been talking for over an hour now. The boys did not know whether to be angry or scared, or both.

"Wait!" Dean spoke up, "They held you down and let that thing take your son. What were they, stupid?" Everyone agreed that they were. Mike's eyes were full of pain. He had lost so much.

"It is their way. I never want to go back." Mike continued, "They couldn't have stopped him. They didn't want to lose their children. I understand that. I also understand that the demon never wanted any of their children, he wanted mine. It was an act he put on to get them to do what he wanted, he tricked them." Anger flashed across his chiseled features for a moment.

"I have to save my son, there has to be a way." He begged Bobby.

"There is. Boys, get that bag out of the fridge. I have to get Nancy." Bobby said. He grabbed a bag and went to the door. "We need to go immediately. I found where the demon, Linoge, is. "Everyone scrambled and left quickly.

Both the demon and the boy were tied with iron chains to chairs that were bolted to the floor. Nancy read the ritual while dripping her blood mixed with holy oil around each person. Bobby used some of the blood/oil to draw the symbols around the outside of each circle. He promptly set it on fire and Nancy began the ritual in earnest. The demon, Linoge, hissed and screeched and so did Mike's son. It broke Bobby's heart to see the pain on the man's face but he knew it would soon be over.

Sam and Dean were horrified at the site of Mike's son. "He's not possessed. Sam, He's not."

Sam said, "No, he's a demon, like I will be." Dean pursed his lips together and looked at his brother.

"That will never happen." He reassured him, Sam did not look reassured. He settled for another tack.

"It's almost time for us. Let's ready."

Sam and Dean held a slip of paper in their hands and began the latter part of the incantation, as Nancy stood back as far as she could from the bright flames and the screaming demons. Michael stood with her and waited for his cue. His cup of blood ready.

The older demon gave a last scream of pain and anger and then seems to melt. The melted remains ran into the flames and were vaporized immediately. The flames around his son died down enough that he could enter the circle that contained his son. He poured the blood into his son's mouth and chanted, "Life of my blood, fruit of my life, child of mine, return once more!" The boy shrieked so loud it shook the building and his head fell limply against his chest. The boys put out the fire with some sand in a nearby bucket. Pastor Jim's church would reek for days after this but it could not be helped.

The man stood over his unconscious son. He felt for a pulse and sighed, at least the boy was alive. He was afraid that his son would not make it once the demon in him, in his DNA was forcibly removed.

He waited, terrified, for his son to wake up. The boy began to stir and when he saw his dad he began to cry. Bobby checked his teeth and eyes, dashed on some holy water and then untied the boy. The boy ran to his father's arms and began to sob in earnest. The Winchesters and the others left them alone, going to get cleaning supplies to clean up their mess. These two needed a moment.

"Dad, I was so scared I would never see you again. I am so sorry!" the boy told his dad.

"I thought I lost you." Mike responded by hugging his son close. He needed to assure himself that his son was really here, here in his arms again.

"You did. I didn't remember you, just him. Then there was the darkness and the blood. I was so cold and hot at the same time. So much anger and so much darkness inside me, inside my soul" the boy said, looking into his lap, ashamed. The site broke his father's heart, and everyone else's that was pretending they weren't listening in. Sam and Dean exchanged a pained look.

"The ceremony removed that from you. You are human again, no more demon, just my son." Mike said, it was a promise and pledge.

"Thank you, all of you, for my son." Mike felt words could never be enough to relay how wonderful it was to have his son back after all this time. He conveyed it with his eyes and held his son, who cried like his heart was broken.

They turned and told him, "That's what family is for." The three men looked at each other and smiled, "You do what it takes to take care of them, no matter what." Mike smiled again, unable to stop. His son stopped crying and wiped his eyes.

"Yes, thank you." He said and smiled, the first time in a long time.

The Andersons, one older and one younger, both wiser than they were before, entered the hotel room. The boy laid the salt and the man did the small symbol on the door in chalk. The food sat on the table, the contents tempting them.

"What did we get?" Ralph asked, mouthwatering at the smell of the food.

"Guess." His dad teased, eyes smiling.

The boy pulled out the burgers and grinned from ear to ear. "Bacon Cheeseburgers! My favorite!"

Mike laughed and noted that Dean had definitely rubbed off on the boy. He just hoped not too much.

The two laughed together as only family can, sharing the unspoken joke.

The hunters ate their food and talked. The nest of vampires reclined and rested after their filling meal.

Hunters and their prey. They would get to the vamp nest soon, after supper, and when the light would shine. Mike considered getting a UV light. 'I wonder what that would do.'

He laughed at this and his son looked at him. He explained what he was laughing about and the boy laughed, too. It seemed like a good idea to him, too.

Like father, like son.

This is a start of a storyline I came up with.

I know these characters are probably new to you but give them a chance.

Michael and Ralphie Anderson are characters from "Storm of the Century" by Stephen King. This is based on the movie, sort of. This is how I saw the constable, Michael Anderson, saving his son. No one should lose a child, especially to evil.

Please read and review. This will be an ongoing series so please let me know what you think of it so far.


	2. Werewolf In The Motel Room

This is one of the beginning hunts that Ralph and Michael Anderson went on. It started with a werewolf hunt and ended with a destroyed motel room. Who knew?

Characters: Ralph and Michael Anderson

(Please let me know if you want more details of the hunt that resulted in this. This is just a filler I came up but I can elaborate more if you want. Just review and let me know.)

Mike and Ralph looked around the trashed motel room and sighed. It was bad, and they both wanted to laugh.

"Dad?" Ralph looked up at his dad.

"Yeah, son?" Mike said. Eyes taking in the carnage. Nothing was left unbroken, shattered, or mauled.

"Werewolves create quite a mess." Ralph snickered, unable to help themselves.

"Good thing we got them out of here before they did too much damage…" Mike fought his laughter, this should not be funny. The corners of his mouth tilted upward, betraying him.

"Yeah, that bathroom wall is demolished." Ralph said, trying to be serious, and failing. They finally almost collapsed in laughter and when they calmed down, they wiped the tears of laughter away.

"Oh, well." Mike said, smiling, "Let's get outta here. People be coming by soon, and we don't want to be here." They made their way to the car and left as fast as they could.

"Dad, don't werewolves bond for life?" Ralph asked as thought struck him, a bad one.

"Yah, that's what I was told." He said as Ralph looked in their copy of the Winchester's journal, they had been nice enough to photocopy it for them when they had last met. It was useful, to say the least. Some of that stuff in there was downright freaky. True but freaky.

"There was only one in the room" Ralph pointed out. A horrible feeling spreading in his gut.

"Yah, I know." Mike had hoped Ralph would not catch on this fast to what he had already figured out and dreaded.

"Where was its mate?" Ralph wondered, fear and dread in his face. He was pale but he it wouldn't get in the way of finishing the hunt.

"Not sure." Mike looked at his son and shrugged.

"Dad! Watch out!" Ralph yelled and his dad stomped on the brakes. Thank goodness for seatbelts, he thought as they were tossed painfully into the tight belts that kept them from sailing through the windshield. Ralph's eyes were on the reason for the quick stop and he did not even check if his dad was okay.

His dad's eyes moved to see what his son was staring at and he jumped, trying to get out of the seatbelt really quickly. He ended up cutting it off with his knife, there was no time for anything else.

Ralph pulled his gun with the silver shot in it and let loose. The wolf person tried to dodge and go after them at the same time, its mistake. Mike leveled his gun at it and shot in unison with his son, both shots hitting their targets, head and heart. They got out and dumped the corpse of the wolf person in the woods, it was already becoming human again and thanking them through bloody teeth. They nodded to it as it died and got back in the car. They drove off and headed to Nebraska.

One loose end…there is always one loose end. Michael Anderson had to admit this was a bad thing.

This was meant to be filler part but I wouldn't mind giving more details if the reviewers let me know they are interested. I am still developing this storyline so I welcome all ideas. Tell me what you like and what you might like to see them do in their upcoming hunts.

Please read and review! I am new to this and look forward to them!


	3. Wendigo Hunt

(I do not own these characters, Stephen King does. I just like seeing how these new hunters do their thing.)

They stalked the tracks of the hikers to some caves. They stopped to consider their options.

"Which cave would the Wendigo go in?" Ralph wondered, flare gun at the ready.

They had got there too late to do anything but hear the screams and find the demolished campsite. They took off immediately after the tracks they could find. They found traces of grayish hair on some branches as they went. The hikers were in their twenties, it had to belong to the Wendigo.

"What if the tunnels are all connected? It could just pick one and go anywhere in there it wanted?" Mike reflected and made a decision. "Find the one that smells worse. It should take us to where it stores its food." They moved closer to the caves.

"Sounds like a plan." Ralph looked at his dad and smiled, "How about we stick with sandwiches and salad tonight? I will not be up to weird smells after this."

Mike chuckled and agreed. "That would be a definite." The cave to their left smelled like death had visited and left some presents…ugh. "It's this one." They moved as one unit and headed into the Wendigo's den. Fire ready for when they found it. Here's hoping the victims were still okay.

They quickened their pace and moved deeper into the cave's darkness, disappearing into its velvety midst.

(This is a lead in of sorts. There will be more coming up soon. Please review and let me know what you think.)


	4. Vampirt Hunt Pt 1

Michael Anderson and his son got into the town and the first thing they noticed was it was empty. Not empty as in quiet and still but like a ghost town. Their every instinct said that something was very wrong here. They were tired and hungry and they wanted a break from the road. They spotted the motel ahead and pulled in.

The first thing they noticed was the Impala and the second, the short haired man working under its hood while the taller younger man passed him tools as he called for them. Michael walked over to them and said, "Hey Dean." The short haired man did two things simultaneously, he jerked his head up too fast and slammed it against the uplifted hood cover. He bit back a swear when he saw the smaller teen approaching them, his dark hair already matting against his forehead from the summer heat.

Dean rubbed his head with a hand, and smiled, "Hi Mike." He looked at Sam, "Hey, Sam. How about taking Ralph here inside to cool off and get him a sandwich or something." Sam looked at Ralph and smiled.

"Let's go inside, there's A/C in there." He smiled affectionately at the boy and ruffled the kid's hair. "I bet I can find a sandwich in there too, if you're hungry." He immediately liked the boy, he reminded him of Dean at that age.

"You bet. I am starved." Ralph ran to catch up with Sam and then asked him as they were walking away, "Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam smiled down at him.

"Where'd all the people go?" Ralph asked curiously and Sam frowned. They continued to walk away to the room as Sam explained that there were some bad things here that had scared the people away. That the people would return once the hunters got the bad things away from there.

Mike watched them go and then looked at Dean, "What type of bad things are we talking about here?" he asked, concerned.

"Vampire, a large nest by the look of it." Dean said as he pulled out a spark plug and tossed it to the ground. "Hand me one of the plugs, would you?" Mike handed him one and Dean worked it into place. "Everyone left but us. You might want to go, too. This is going to be bad." Dean gave a meaningful look in the direction of the room where Ralph no doubt was eating their last sandwich fixing up.

"Cleaned out a nest in Parkersburg, some miles back. I'm no stranger to vamp hunting." Mike assured him. These boys were all that were left to fight that large a nest. They so needed help. "If you were alone out here, why didn't you call for reinforcements?"

"We got this." Dean assured him, they did not have this and both men knew it. He was just worried about the boy getting hurt or worse. "Vamps don't play fair, Mike, they find your weakness and use it against you."

"Like Sam?" Mike pointed out. He kept handing Dean tools, knowing this was how the man was coping with the situation he was in.

"Yeah, but" Dean tried a different tack since his previous attempt to warn off the other hunter had failed, "your weakness in more vulnerable to hurt than Sam is. Sam's done this a million and one times, Ralph is still just a boy. He could get hurt here or get you both killed."

"Probably." Mike agreed but he knew what Ralph would say and he agreed with him. "We can't just leave you here to die. Besides there's strength in numbers. Ralph can take rear guard if that is what you're worried about. That way we hit the vamps before they can get to him."

"Or we can give him his own 6 foot something bodyguard for the duration of the hunt." Dean suggested slamming the trunk cover down as carefully as he could. "Sam won't mind, Hell, he probably will assign himself the duty before I can get the words out."

"That's a good idea." Mike agreed and handed Dean a cold beer from the cooler and got one for himself.

"Now tell me about this nest. What is going on here?" Mike asked and the men sat on the hood of the Impala and tried to come up with a plan. Sam and Ralph were eating lunch and talking in the cool air.

The vamps slept in their rooms of the large home nearby and waited for the sun to go down. They were hungry again and relished the thought of finding more prey. There were at least twenty of them throughout the house.

The hunters planned and the vampire rested up, when night came the hunt would begin and all hell would break loose.

_Earlier that day_:

The night was rapidly becoming day and they had no results thus far. They knew the nest was close, the amount of human deaths were piling up by the day. Most of the residents had evacuated the town, on the premise of sudden urges to visit family, go on vacation, and other excuses. They all boiled down to one thing; they were scared and ran away as fast as they could before they were next.

Both Sam and Dean were aware this was not normal vampire behavior. Vampires were rare and secretive, a sane vampire knew this kind of killing activity would attract hunters and avoided it at all costs. They were a dying race and they knew it. They would never announce their presence like this in the past. So why were they doing it now? Even Bobby was drawing a blank on that one.

The owner of the hotel was a retired hunter with a family of his own now, he could not afford to expose his family to this kind of threat. He gave the boys free run of the motel and free stays when they were in town. He gave them this privilege now as he went to get into the car with his family.

"You boys be careful." He said, worried about his friends. "I would stay but I have to think of my family. I am no coward but I have a family to protect. If it was one vamp I could stay and handle that but this shows all the signs of a large nest. I left that life a long time ago and it would be careless of me to take the chance of those things not coming after my loved ones, you know how they are." He got in and shut the door. He looked up at them, "I will be back after this is done. I have given you my journal to help you. You can stay as long as you like, no money required. Just be careful, "He looked at his lap for a moment, wishing he could stay but knowing better. "Bobby would kill me if I got you guys killed. "The man suddenly sounded tired and older than he really was, "I am so sorry I had to get you guys involved but Bobby recommended you and said he would send help."

"Be careful, boys, this isn't a normal nest of vamps. There is something seriously wrong here, and I don't know what else to do but get my family out of danger's way." His eyes voiced his regret for placing the boys between this evil and his family but his family had to come first. He had no choice.

"We got this." The boys forced smiles to their faces, deep down they wished they had more help too. "Take care of your family. That is your job now, not hunting. That is our job."

"It shouldn't be." The man reflected and sighed sadly, "Hunting isn't a job I would wish on my worst enemy. It eats at your sanity and your soul." He waved at the boys and put the car into drive. "Call me if you need some advice, I can help with that." The boys promised they would if they needed it and the car pulled out with the sun bouncing off its bumper in bright arcs.

"Now what do we do?" Sam asked, this was a bad situation to be in.

"Research, Sammy, lots and lots of research. We need to vampire proof this room first then get into the books and stuff. You need to check into the city records. There has to be something there. " Dean answered and they made their way to their room with the knowledge that they were the only human beings left in the entire town. This either made them really large targets or the unluckiest people in the world. They couldn't decide which rang truer but both of them sounded really accurate. "We are so screwed, Dean." Sam summed it up succinctly and Dean couldn't help but agree.

Once they sat down to do their research, Sammy asked a question he found illuminating and horrifying at the same time.

"Don't you get tired of being the ones that have to stand between the innocent and the evil things?" Sam asked, feeling suddenly tired.

"Yeah." Dean answered and meant it, why us? Seemed to resonate between them. "Makes you homesick for Lucifer and Michael doesn't it?" A pillow sailed into his head and his head bumped abruptly against the headboard. He smiled at Sam's attempt at mock assassination.

Sam just shook his head and they busted out in laughter. Yeah, they were screwed.


	5. Vampirt Hunt Pt 2

Michael reclined on his bed as they waited for daylight to come again. The rooms were sufficiently vampire proofed and the Winchester's had offered to watch for them so they could sleep for a bit. He reflected on the Wendigo and why it became the evil thing it was.

It started out as a person who then went cannibal, which in turn turned it into an evil and malicious creature bent of feeding on other humans using its new supernatural speed and strength. He couldn't help but relate, after what Ralph had went through. The vampires railed and screamed as they tried to get past the wards and the spellwork Sam had created around their section of rooms, which had a connecting door thank goodness. Mike had not liked this plan of course, Dean would guard him and his brother would guard Ralph in the other room. Their vehicles were parked in behind the rooms, in case they needed to make a quick getaway. Dean had performed a ton of spellwork himself over his precious Impala, some of which made Mike think he was going overboard with it but he did not argue, it was Dean's car and he could do what he liked. Sam did the warding and spellwork on Mike's vehicle and he had to admit Sam's work and Dean's work was pretty thorough but Sam's took less time.

He closed his eyes and ran over the details of the Wendigo hunt they had done a few states over. Ralph wrote it in a journal and he engraved it in his memory, that was their way.

The Wendigo had indeed holed up in a chamber in the middle of the cave formation and had at least three victims hanging in there. Mike and Ralph had split up, Mike approached from the front and made a lot of noise, playing bait and Ralph slipped up behind it and shot it with a couple flares from the flare gun. The thing went up like phosphorus on a match head. Ralph and his father had to squint as the fire died down and they untied the people. They could not save the others but at least they saved three of them. It was a small victory but it was still a victory. They waited until they were a couple towns over and then called in an anonymous tip about the cave and the bodies in it. There was no way they could offer a plausible explanation that would be very convincing even to their ears. 'Oh, officer, yes, there was this wendigo and it was eating people. We shot it with a flare gun and it burned up. Here are the people we could save, thanks for letting us help.' Sounded lame and would make them sound insane.

The vampire threw some rocks at the windows but only managed to hit a couple of them. The work on the cars had worked, the vampires did not do anything them. Dean growled at the thought of them near his baby but he knew she was safe, any vampire that got anywhere near would begin to throw up blood and would in agonizing pain before they got 10 feet near it. He smiled proudly as the sun set in the sky and the vampire ran away hissing at them.

He woke up Mike and then laid down to rest himself. Last night had went pretty well, if he had to say so himself. Mike and Ralph enjoyed the sunrise and the warmth it brought them as the Winchester's lay down for a well- earned rest. They would all hunt those evil bastards down in a few hours, probably around noon. He grinned maliciously, it was always hotter around noon. He felt happy at that thought and went to see his son to see if he wanted some breakfast.

He was starved.


	6. Vampire Hunt Pt 3

(I do not own Supernatural or Storm of the Century, Eric Kripke and Stephen King do. I just use their characters in my stories. Ralph is so cute, don't you think? Such a great kid!)

(Anyway, the boys and the Anderson's need to exterminate that nest now. It should be a simple hunt but it probably won't be. Look for the surprise at the end of the story, it is the beginning of a new Winchester family member. Don't miss it!)

The group went into the building and exterminated the nest of vamps the next morning. Sounds simple doesn't it? When are things ever that simple, especially with the Winchesters involved? It started out as a simple plan but proved to be anything but.

They left at mid-day. The sun was at its hottest then and the vamps were more likely to hurt more if they got outside in it at that hour. It may not kill them but the agony it induced on them would feel like it was doing just that. They loaded up on machetes and Palo Alto Stakes. One to hold the things down the other to take off their heads. It was a good plan and they were good weapons to have. One problem, they had underestimated the number of vampires in the nest. A very big mistake to make, especially for hunters.

Dean and Mike crept in first and then Sam and Ralph followed. They were met with the shock of their lives. The vamps were not sleeping. They were waiting for them. They had figured out they were coming and planned for it. Dean hated smart vampires; they always made things more complicated.

"Sam, protect Ralph!" Mike called and Sam nodded. He was already placing himself closer to Ralph as the man spoke and Ralph threw a frustrated look at his father while eying the circling vampires. "Dad, I can do this! I don't need a babysitter."

"That's what you think!" All the adults fairly shouted, and that's when the vampires attacked.

Ralph, it turned out was an amazing vampire hunter.

Ralph and Sam fought back to back and when they were separated they immediately recovered their positions at each other's sides. Sam pulled a couple vamps off the boy and the boy took off their heads with two hard swings. Another vamp tried to jump Sam and Sam threw him into a piece of wood that Ralph held out. Sam took its head quickly.

Dean and Mike kicked and pinned the vamps by them. They used the wood to pin it and then cut off the heads. They fought back to back as well and the vamps kept coming.

Ralph was faster and stronger than any of them. A vampire tried to drive him away from his partner but only lost its head in the effort. Blood was making the ground slippery. It was hard to keep their footing but they used each other to keep their balance when they stumbled. They were all thrown at different points of the battle into furniture and walls by the vamps but managed to fight their way back to each other, their clothes dyed red from all the vamps they had killed. Almost half an hour later, they emerged from the house tired and bloody. The only beings left in the town. It felt lonely when they thought about it that way.

There were some serious injuries of course. Both Sam and Dean had to have a shoulder popped back into place; it had popped out of place about the third time they slammed into the walls. They had stab marks from the vampire claws but they mostly just needed a few stitches to close those up. The bruises and marks on their bodies were going to be spectacular tomorrow.

Mike had a dislocated shoulder, too and some stitching needed but overall, there were mostly strained muscles and tendons, along with bruises and marks like the boys had experienced. Ralph only had a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose, along with some scratches and bruises. He had mostly been thrown into soft furniture, with Sam getting between the vamps and him to take the worst damage.

Ralph reflected that if this was Sam's way of babysitting him, he should ask for a raise in pay, a really big one. Ralph was indeed faster and more agile thanks to what the demon had done to his body when it had changed it but for the most part he would still heal at the same rate as everyone else. He was pure human now after all.

They burned the house down for good measure and stayed to make sure it was going strong before leaving. It was in the middle of nowhere so there was no danger of it spreading to anywhere else, thank goodness.

So the little group lay down to rest after struggling back to their vehicles and driving back to the motel to clean up, then checking for injuries and treating the wounded. They all lay down for a well -earned rest in their rooms and tried to mend their injuries for a few days before setting out for parts unknown. It hurt too much at the moment to do much else.

Several days later, Dean called his friend who owned the motel and told him it was over. The man sounded relieved at the news and promised to call the others to let them know they could return, that the vampires were gone. The townsfolk would not ask questions nor would they bother the hunters. They only cared they were safe once more, that was all they needed to know. Michael could relate to this, he had come from just such a place himself. This would be the town's secret and they would keep it. The only difference was, this was a good secret and deserved to be kept.

Sam and Dean both hugged the boy, Ralph, close and hard, and gave him their phone numbers. "Call if you need us, okay?" Dean asked.

"You're a hell of a hunter, Ralph." Sam praised Ralph who responded by hugging his neck tightly and whispering in his ear, "you, too. Sam."

They shook hands and smiled at his father, "Same goes for you, Mike. Holler if you need us." Dean made the man promise and said, "Take care of that boy." Mike ruffled Ralph's hair and said that wouldn't be an issue. Dean was sure it wouldn't be.

The boys got into their car and started it. Suddenly Ralph appeared at Sam's window, with hopeful eyes and a nervous smile. "Wait, Sam!" He gasped out.

"What is it?" Sam smiled gently at the boy who looked down in embarrassment.

"What makes a brother?, like you guys." Ralph asked, really wanting to know.

"Well, we love and protect each other. We think of each other as family, like they are bound to you somehow for the rest of your lives, no matter what happens in your life. You are willing to die protecting them or for them if it comes to that." Sam answered as best he could. Dean watched on with inquiring eyes.

"Not just blood then?" Ralph asked.

"No, not just blood. Blood don't make you family. Love does." Dean answered for Sam this time, both men thinking of Bobby and the others they cared about and considered family. "Where are you going with this?"

Ralph shuffled his feet and then looked shyly into Sam's eyes, he knew this was one of those hated chick flick moments Dean hated. "Then can I be your brother too? Please?" He asked begging now, he so wanted this but was not sure how it worked. He was an only child but he wanted brothers like Sam and Dean, preferably he wished they were his brothers, he liked them a lot.

Sam got out of the car and scrunched down so he was eye to eye with the boy and put his hands on the boy's shoulder. The boy looked away embarrassed. Sam pulled his face gently to look him in the eyes. "Yes, you can. You are now an honorary Winchester brother."

Ralph's face blossomed into the happiest smile and he hugged the older man.

"Does that mean I'm your brother now too, Dean?" He asked, wondering if it included Dean, too.

"You betcha bottom dollar, kiddo." Came Dean's gruff voice behind him and he turned to see Dean standing over him smiling. Dean picked up the kid with great care and hugged him, too. "You're now officially the youngest Winchester brother, under Sam of course." He smiled down at Sam.

"Good." Ralph stated and ran back to the truck where his father waited and then returned with a paper in hand. He handed it to Sam and smiled, "Here's my number. Call me if you need _me_ then."

They all smiled and laughed a little at this exchange and then got into their own vehicles waving happy goodbyes as they pulled away in opposite directions.

"Great kid that Ralph." Sam noted smiling.

"Yes he is." Dean responded smiling too. "So, little brother, how does it feel to not be the youngest anymore?" His eyebrow lifted as he asked.

"Pretty good." Sam answered and smiled sadly, already missing the boy. "I'm going to miss him." He kept on looking out the window, watching the others disappear into the horizon behind them.

"I know what you mean." Dean sighed, he was going to miss him too.

"Wonder when we'll see them again?" Sam asked, looking forward to it.

"Knowing the Hunter's life, probably really soon." Dean noted.

"Good I'd like that." Sam responded then settled into a comfortable silence that his brother and he usually did on these long drives, they knew each other well enough by now that they didn't really need to talk all the time to each other on long drives. They just enjoyed each other's company and hunting together, that was what life was about for them now, this was their 'normal' and they preferred it that way. He made sure to program Ralph's number into both their phones under the group 'family'. It was where he belonged now.

"Me too." Dean finished and settled in for the long drive. The silence between them not stilted or awkward but comfortable and filled with good things that bound them as brothers. These bonds that drew them together and were unbreakable forged not with being born brothers but with just having each other's back and of love perfected by trials they had faced.

Meanwhile Ralph told his dad what he had done and said to the Winchesters. His dad just smiled at him.

"You don't mind do you, Dad?" he asked, he had not wanted to hurt his father again with his actions like he had when he had been a demon.

"No, I think this is a very good thing." Mike answered and meant it. It was just him and Ralph now. Ralph would never have a brother or sister to share his life with. Now he had Sam and Dean as brothers, so he was no longer quite so alone and that was the best part. He knew his son would be okay now. He had two older brothers now to help protect him, and if the way Dean was protective of Sam was any indication, Ralph could never have wished for better brothers. He would be okay now, he was an honorary Winchester and that was just as good as blood any day.

They stopped off at a nearby diner for lunch and shared a meal together. It was nice to have family. It was the best part of Hunting.

(I know this is not strictly a Sam and Dean storyline but this is a story about the new hunters that join the Hunter fold and help them fight evil. This is so that Sam and Dean don't always have to fight it alone, they have more hunters to help when they need it or when those hunters need them. Michael and Ralph Anderson are such wonderful characters to write for and to interact with the boys in my stories. I hope you come to like them, I already do!

Please read and review! I think this storyline is turning out terrific. Please let me know what you think of it.)


	7. Saying Goodbye To Mom

(In this chapter, Ralph wants to visit his Mom's gravesite and Mike agrees. It is going to be hard visit for both of them. The boy really needs his new brothers now, don't you think?

Please read and let's see how Ralph does with the new situation.)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ralphie stared out the window as they drove off the ferry onto the entrance to the town. He barely remembered it. His memories were hazy and half formed. When the demon had changed him, it had taken most of those memories away. He remembered his mom a little, her face smiling down at him as he went to bed or one of the millions of times he did something normal that she just found to be the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She had been great that way. He looked down as his eyes misted up. He just wanted to see her grave this one time, it was all he needed.

Shortly after he had be healed from what Linoge had done to him, he had asked his father about her, his memories then were barely emerging from the fog he had been in. His father had said that she was on Little Tall still and she had remarried. He asked him if he wanted to see her. Ralph sighed and said no. He remembered her betrayal.

Michael had called his friend anyway, planning on telling her about Ralph but then he had got the news. She had passed on days before from heart complications. Doctors couldn't explain, and the others couldn't either. They lied. The townsfolk has seen what the secret was doing to her, her husband, his friend, had seen it happening. Her shrink on the main land had seen it happening, seen her breaking under the burden of her secret. The secret they kept, they all kept, Michael spat. The secret he kept and hated that he did. Now they kept another secret, all but him and Ralph, they admitted the truth, at least to each other. Molly had not died from heart complications, although Michael was sure the heart had been involved. She had died from a broken heart and guilt over what she had done, and could never undo. Michael finally forgave her then but did not regret leaving. She had betrayed him, they all had. He could forgive that, they had been afraid. No, it was that she had and the townspeople had betrayed Ralph and let that thing take him away! That Michael could not forgive and nor could Ralph. It left a bitter taste in their mouths but they could live with it.

Now they were returning to that place so Ralph to visit Molly's grave. Neither really wanting to be here. One hating this place with every fiber of his being and the other angry and anxious, unsure of what to say when they got to her graveside. Michael noticed the looks the townspeople were giving them. Hope lay in those looks, pleas for forgiveness as well. Michael would be giving them neither. He just drove on.

They parked near the gravesite and Ralph asked if he could go alone, Michael said okay and let him walk over to it, sad for his son and not knowing how to help him, all love gone for the woman who lay in the grave, that had fled when she had pulled that black stone from the bag, when she had said she would do what Linoge asked, over his protests and pleas. She had given up that right when she had given their son away to a monster, and shattered her husband's loving and devoted heart in the process.

Michael saw them coming, most of them already turning back, guilt driving them away. He smiled bitterly at this, good, they deserved it. He met them halfway and kept them from Ralph's line of sight.

Tessa spoke first, timidly. "You found him. You got him back." She looked away from his anger.

"Yes, no thanks to you folks." Michael spat, holding his temper in check and keeping an eye out for Ralph.

"Is he okay now?" Mrs. Hopewell asked eyes on Ralph who sat on bended knee laying the flowers on the grave.

"Yes." Michael said, they deserved no explanations.

"How?" Tessa asked, hope lighting her eyes.

Michael just shrugged and looked at them, wanting them gone.

"We're so sorry, Mike. We made the wrong choice. You know we didn't really have a choice, you know that don't you?" Tessa begged, and the others nodded they felt the same way.

"I don't really care anymore." Michael spat again, " I only ask you leave us be while we're here. We're taking the next ferry out of here. If Ralph wants to see you, he can." He looked over to Ralph who was standing up now. He was done.

"Sure thing, Mike. We understand." Their shoulders drooped in disappointment and they walked away.

Michael felt tears in his eyes and fought them. He felt a hand take his and looked over at his son. Ralph watched the others and his eyes were cold, angry.

"Do you want to talk to them, Ralph? You can if you want, I won't stop you. They're good people, they just got lost along the way." Michael asked, this was his son's decision, he would not influence it.

"No. I just want to leave." He watched them go and hated them. Hated them with every fiber of his being. They had given him to that monster and betrayed him. His father was willing to jump into the water and die, disappear without a trace like Linoge had said they would if they didn't give him what he wanted. He had fought for Ralph. He had looked for Ralph until he found him. He had healed him and gave him his life back.

They had kept their secret and told the cops he had wandered out into the storm and died. Michael never did that. His father had done what he needed his father to do, the others just kept their secrets, like they always did.

He smiled up at his father and they walked to the car. They drove to the ramp and pulled onto the ferry, glad to be away. Ralph said he didn't ever want to go back, his father said okay. That was that.

The townspeople watched them leave and hid. They could not face the angry pair. They could not blame them for their feelings. They had betrayed them both in the most fundamental way. They would never know how Michael had been able to find the boy or heal him from whatever the demon had done to him. This was the Andersons' secret and theirs alone. They felt the guilt and shame inside themselves and accepted it. This was their price for bargaining with the demon, and they would keep paying it until the day they died.

Michael would have liked the sound of that if he had known, so would Ralph. They were in hell and the thought would have given him great pleasure, if he had known.

As it was, he merely let his son lay down in the backseat and rest. He watched the water lap around the bottom of the ferry and smiled. He would never have to see that place again. This pleased him very much.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ralph had been quiet since they had gotten back on the road. He hadn't spoken much since they had left Little Tall. Once they were in the room, Michael asked his son if he was okay, did he want to talk about it. Ralph assured him that he was just thinking and not to worry.

Ralph did eventually pick up the phone and make a call to his brothers. He needed to talk to someone and he needed them.

"Hello." Sam said as he answered the phone.

"Hi, it's Ralph." Ralph said nervous.

"Hi, Dean, it's Ralph!" Sam nearly shouted, he was that happy to hear from him. He heard the phone move as both Sam and Dean put the phone so they both could talk to and hear him. "What's up? Are you okay?" They asked, was he calling for help?

"I suppose so. I went to see Mom's grave today." Ralph explained, sadness creeping in.

"Oh." The boys said, knowing this must have been hard on them both, but Ralph especially.

"I'm evil." Ralph said, crying a little at the memory.

"Don't say that! You could never be." They assured him ,trying to help him, to comfort him.

"I was before." Ralph sniffled, he remember that part all too well.

"You're not now and you weren't then. Whatever you did or didn't do was not your fault. We don't want to hear you say that again, we mean it, Ralph." Dean growled, knowing what Ralph was feeling.

"Okay." Ralph went silent. He felt ashamed of himself.

"Now tell us why you would say that." Sam insisted, the boy was hurting.

"Don't tell Dad, but when I went to the gravesite and put the flowers on it, I felt almost nothing. No, I felt nothing. This was my own mother's grave and I felt nothing for her, no connection, and no real grief. Then the people showed up and Dad kept them away. I went over to them as they walked away and I hated them, the hate felt so evil to me, so cold." Ralph explained, crying softly into the phone.

"Hey, don't do that. After what they did, after what you went through, it's normal, it's okay to feel that way. You don't remember her, the memories were mostly erased by that demon. You are not evil. It's okay to hate them, they betrayed you. All you can do is let go of them now and be with your Dad, that's all that really matters. You understand, Ralph?" Dean explained, damning every last townsperson, including the kid's own mother to the lowest ring of hell. They belonged there.

"I know that I guess. It's just, I should have felt something, shouldn't I? She was my mother after all. I'm sure she loved me at some point. Yet I feel nothing for her. It seems wrong somehow." Ralph finished softly.

"No, it's not wrong, Ralph. If you don't feel anything, you don't feel anything. You have to let this go, forgive yourself for this. It doesn't make you evil or anything." Sam soothed him as best he could. He and Dean expressed another protective look over the phone.

Ralph didn't say anything for a while but eventually asked, hesitantly, "Dad is taking me to Coney Island tomorrow. Can you come with us, please?" They were probably too busy with hunting something, he realized, it was okay, they had listened to him and he did feel better.

"Sure, kid. We'll meet you by the food stands. We have to fatten you up." Dean declared happily. They were going to find the shortest route there and see him. "Where you guys staying anyway in case we get there early?" They were definitely getting there early, they really wanted to see the kid. He needed them.

"Amsterdam Motel off of Route 6, I think. Room 4." Ralph smiled glad they were coming.

"Cool, and Ralph?" Sam asked, as Dean wrote down the information for them. "Tell your Dad this stuff, too, okay? He probably is worried about you too." Michael would want to comfort his son.

"I will. I should have told him first I suppose. I just felt like a monster and was afraid to." Ralph admitted, his Dad did look worried.

"We'll see you then. Ask your Dad what time he wants us to meet you there." Dean insisted, knowing this would be a moot point in a few hours. He had found a quick way to where they were and was plotting his trip already.

"He said 10:00am. When they open." Ralph laughed at the thought of seeing them. They were going to have fun.

"We'll be there." Both boys said into the phone and hung up.

They exchanged a happy look and then Dean handed Sam the map. "We should be there in a couple hours. No problem." He pulled off the side of the road and turned the car around. He revved the engine and sped back the way they had come from. There was a boy waiting for them, and they weren't going to disappoint him.

In fact, they were going to surprise him by showing up on his doorstep. Ralph was going to be so surprise!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(I feel so bad for Ralph right now. Michael, too. Ralph is an awesome kid!

Please review and please don't flame. I do take criticism fairly well.)


	8. An Unexpected Visitor:Crossover Pt3

Plot: This is a crossover between the archangel John from 'Our Father the Angel' and Michael and Ralph from 'Like Father Like Son'. Archangel John is recruiting help from other worlds to help his group in his own world stop the demon Ruby from opening the new Devil's Gate that Bobby has found. These two will be moving from this story for a few days and crossing over into 'Our Father The Angel' but worry not, they will be back.

Feel free to check out their crossover adventures in 'Our Father The Angel' if you want to see what part they play in that story arc. It promises to be quite enjoyable.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

John stood for the longest time watching them sleep. Michael and Ralph looked so peaceful. He could see why the boys had adopted the kid as their littlest brother, he was a good kid and handsome too. He took a seat nearby and waited for them to wake, making himself visible to them.

Xxxxxxxxx

The pair woke up at nearly the same time. They did the usual stretching that people do and looked up. That's when John found him face to face with a pistol and a knife pointed at him, with two very terrified people behind them. He sighed, he so needed archangel lessons!

"You know I could have pulled the whole 'I am an archangel of the Lord' schtick but I didn't and don't really want to. Do I have to?" He asked smiling, hoping they would listen without that part.

"Um, maybe." Michael said, the man was so confusing right now. He seemed right as ease and reminded them of someone they knew, knew really well as a matter of fact.

"Well, in this world, I was killed by a yellow-eyed demon a few years back in this world and well that one too. I was brought back as an archangel recently in that world and I now help them in their fight against a growing darkness there." John paused and remembered something.

"Didn't I do a case in your town a while back, Tall Little, something like that. You helped me find a missing girl, she was taken by some people, well, you're hunters now so I can tell you, vampires took her. I killed them and rescued her. I don't suppose you remember me?" John had only spoken to him briefly saying he was looking for his niece.

"Yeah, I do. I helped you take her to the hospital." Mike nodded, he remembered the man after all. "Does this involve a hunt or case or something like that?"

"Yes, A demon is trying to open a second Devil's Gate and I need 7 warriors to stop it. You will be the seventh. " Michael appeared to be considering it. "What is your name, anyway? I can't call you 'Angel' or something lame like that. "

"John Winchester. I am an Angel of the Lord though, I really I am. I am just not good at the theatrics like they are, I'm sure I will get better at it. " John sighed. Michael and Ralph seemed really interested in him now.

"Not the late father to Dean and Sam Winchester?" Michael asked, finally pinpointing who he is.

"Yes, that is who I was, or am, this time thing is confusing, even to me." John admitted.

"Stick to what you know, John, you don't seem like the theatrical type. More like the kick butt and take names kind of guy, just like your boys. I hate theatrics anyway, I wouldn't have listened if you had done all that." Michael admitted. He liked this angel's approach. It was much more honest and appealing.

"I will have to bring you into my world in two days, at midnight, along with the others. I have to do it in one trip; I won't be able to manage another after that until it is time to return you to your own world. Do you agree to help?" John asked feeling the time loop pulling him back to his own world.

"Yes, we will. We have to stash our stuff at Bobby's here in our world but we will be there at his house when you need us." They both nodded.

"Good. Tell no one we spoke even Bobby. Make up something if you have to but don't let him be around when I send for you. I will call you and a portal will appear. Jump into it and you will come to me, promise. I would close your eyes when you do, if I were you, the trip can be a bit disorienting otherwise." John warned, it was time to go.

"We will. Bye John." They waved as the man just vanished from sight.

They knew they would do this because it was the right thing to do and the angel seemed so desperate to get their help. They also had heard about that Devil's Gate almost opening and did not want it to open in any world. That would be a bad thing, a very bad thing.

They had to get busy and organize a storage arrangement with Bobby for a week. They left immediately for his house, after breakfast of course. They had no idea what they were going to tell Bobby.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This may sound odd to you regular readers but I am doing a crossover with some of my characters from my stories. They will be joining my characters in 'Our Father The Angel' for a story arc based on Ruby the demon trying to open the newly developed Devil's Gate that the Bobby in that world has just found.

I will be posting a chapter soon showing them all arriving via portal into that storyline if you care to read it.

Please review if you liked it. Sorry it was so short. The Devil's Gate story they are going to join is going to be so interesting, check it out there. They will be back soon, promise.


	9. Bobby's Big Surprise

Plot: The Anderson's are traveling by portal to return home to their world. They are met by their friends. Then they get an unexpected visit from an old friend, what they decide when he gives them a choice.

This is schmoopy at time but they are returning and that is to be expected. There may be some language but not too much.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Bobby and the boys sat watching the circle in the living room. They had dragged two large mattresses from upstairs to cushion the pair's landing.

Earlier an angel had appeared in the middle of his study and told him to prepare for the Anderson's return. They would be returning this evening, she had announced. Bobby had called the boys to come help prepare for their re-entry, they were out on a case a couple hours away so they got there quickly.

Bobby filled them in on what had been going on. An angel had shown up and apparently asked for their help with a mission. They had of course come to Bobby's to stash their stuff and prepare to leave. Bobby had seen them disappear into a wall of bright blue light, and were pulled through his ceiling. They were worried about them now. What if they got hurt? They all laid out the mattresses and sat waiting beside the sacred circle. The pair arrived from the floor, shooting through it like they were specters or something and solidifying immediately upon leaving the floor itself. They fell back hard onto the mattresses and bounced. Both looked fine and uninjured.

The father and son looked over and saw the men looking at them, checking them visually for injuries. Ralph immediately ran toward his brothers, smiling widely, so happy to see them again. He hugged them both and excitedly told them what him they had done, from meeting the archangel to saving the Devil's Gate. He told them about the others he had met there and they were amazed at what the kid said. They didn't doubt him of course, the kid didn't lie to them. They just found it the most amazing adventure they had ever heard. They ruffled the kid's hair and smiled proudly at him. He had helped save a Devil's Gate and so had Michael, that was a major kudos to celebrate, no wonder the kid was so proud of himself.

There came a flash of light and they hid their eyes. Once it died down, they were frozen in shock. There stood their father in blue jean attire with white and gold wings coming from his back. He glowed with Angelic grace and they smiled at him, he was so… so wonderful to see alive again.

"I have come to see if you want to remember this or would want to forget it. It will not harm your timeline if you remember though you can't speak of what happened there or here ever again. You can forget if you feel like it is best forgotten. I am honor bound to offer this to you. You have saved our world and I am grateful for your help. What would you like me to do?" John asked, eying them all but his eyes eventually ended up staying on his sons, who looked back at him. He found himself suddenly nose to nose with them and backed up embarrassed, the personal space thing was really an Angelic trait he knew bothered them. He ran a nervous hand through his messy hair and looked up at them smiling proudly at them. It was so good to see them but they looked so shocked and happy at the same time. So John did what he had wanted to do since he entered the room, he hugged his boys tight and told them he loved them. He said he was proud of them in this world, they were good hunters. He was sorry he couldn't be alive in this world for them, he knew it hurt them to see him this way.

They hugged him back and held on tight, he let them. Eventually they pulled apart, faces slightly wet. They wiped their faces dry and John looked around one more time.

"What is your decision?" He asked. It was their choice.

They all agreed they wanted to remember this and would never tell a soul. He nodded at their decision and hugged Bobby quickly, letting him know he had missed the gruff older man. Bobby and the others waved goodbye to him as he vanished from sight and they looked at each other sadly. They missed the John of this world but at least the boys in that world had their father back. He was an Archangel, who would have guessed the wild hunter would ever get a gig like that? They smiled proudly at the thought. The old man deserved it, he had been to hell and back for them, and he had seen that recognized.

They all went out for supper at the restaurant in town and then returned to turn in.

Ralph prayed for the Sam in that other world and sent his love to him mentally. He wouldn't forget him and he wouldn't stop praying for him ever. They were his brothers there too and they loved him. He wanted to remember them forever and now knew he would.

He slipped off to sleep proud of himself and what he had helped do. He thought it had been the best adventure yet. Michael peeked in on him and smiled at his sleeping son. His heart was so full of love and pride for him. He quietly left the door cracked and went to his own room, shutting the door softly behind him. He stripped down, suddenly exhausted, and went straight to sleep as well. Glad he was home in his own world again. The others smiled as well as they heard the pair settling in.

It was nice to have them back.

Bobby, the paranoid man he was , went to research Seberg, Iowa, just in case. The boys volunteered to help, they were paranoid too. It wasn't being paranoid if you were being careful.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They are back now and I hope you will welcome them back with me.

Please review!


	10. No More Gates

One last gate to close and it will be done. However, there's a hitch, while holy water hurts demons, tools do not. Hmm, they need to fix this hitch and fast. How do you seal a gate with concrete without superpowered demon busting it open with a crowbar, or other equally useful tool? I don't know but then again, neither do they, lol.

Read on to see how they fix this problem, The power of good-looking Winchester men compels you!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bobby and the others walked up to the Devil's Gate. They eyed it and sighed, they had rented a cement mixer and got some concrete for it. They poured the water into it, blessing it and turning it into holy water, letting it mix up well. They had yet figured out how to keep a demon from using a tool to bust the concrete to get into the lock, they wouldn't put it past them.

Bobby looked at the boys and cast his eyes upward, hinting. The boys nodded, taking the hint.

"_Dad, it's us._

_We seem to be stuck._

_We don't mean to make a fuss,_

_But if we don't seal this lock, we are going to be out of luck._

_Please help?"_

The boys sighed, did he even consider himself their Dad still? Did they dare hope he did?

"Of course, I do." John said walking up to them smiling, hugging each one hard, getting a welcoming smile from each. He shook Bobby's hand and turned to look at the lock. "So, holy _concrete_?" He quirked an eyebrow at the truck and smiled, it _was _very original, he had to give them that. "You know a demon can get a tool to break the concrete eventually, right?"

They all nodded and sighed. "That's kind of our problem. We're stuck on that detail." Dean said, running a hand through his hair. Michael walked up and looked at the Archangel.

"Hi, Michael. Good to see you." John shook his hand and smirked knowingly. "Mind if I try?"

The others nodded, hopefully his plan would work better than theirs would have. They knew how to close one but not to seal one up. It was new territory for them.

John put a hand over the lock and let his power flow into it, melted the inner parts of the lock into one metal glob. He pulled his back and then let his power melt the keyhole itself into a melted mass of metal. That should do it. Dante had taught him that trick. If a Pheonix could do it, so could he! It was the only sure way to seal the damn thing up for all time, and hopefully beyond if he had his way.

"Thanks, John." Bobby said and the boys nodded, watching him sadly.

"No problem. Let me know if you ever need anything else." John said, looking back at the boys, sadness in his heart, too.

He went to vanish but paused, looking at the boys. They could tell he was trying to say something and was trying to figure out how to phrase it. It was one of the more popular Winchester traits that all of them had at moments, John included.

"Wanna shoot some pool with me this weekend?" He asked them, hoping they wouldn't mind him trying to spend time with them. He knew he was dead in this world but no one said he couldn't have some kind of relationship with them; he just couldn't stay in the timeline, mostly small visits. That wouldn't hurt the timeline at all.

"We'd like that." The boys beamed as Dean agreed to John's tentative offer, a peace offering, an unspoken offer to be a part of their lives as they were in this world. They were thrilled to have a version of their Dad but understood it would be infrequent visits, he couldn't stay here; it wasn't his timeline.

"See you Friday then." John waved and smiled. He vanished on the spot right then.

"Guess you got your Dad back, eh, Boys?" Bobby said smiling, they looked much happier now.

"Sort of. It feels good." Sam said smiling and Dean nodded in agreement.

"Sam's right, it won't be the one we had before but it will be great having some kind of relationship with this one." Dean said, feeling happier now, they had a Dad again, sort of.

"We better get back. We got a long drive ahead of us." Bobby said and they walked to their cars. The boys drove ahead in their Impala while Bobby followed in his car.

The boys couldn't wait until Friday. They hadn't played pool with their Dad in a long time and knew this was going to be fun. They were curious if he was as good at it was the John of this world had been.

Bobby knew the truth.

He was _better_. In every way.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The last gate is seal and gone. The worlds' are all safe from that. Here's hoping they don't find my driveway, it really need repaving, and I could use the concrete…hmmm.

What was that number again? 1-800-winchester? That's it! Gotta go make a phone call!

Review if you like please, I love all reviews, yes, I really really do!


	11. A Winchester and Anderson Christmas

Christmas has come for Bobby and the boys and they are spending it with Ralph and Mike. Mike gets hurt and they patch him up.

Merry Christmas, guys!

Please let me know what you think.

xxxxxxxxxx

Bobby opened the door and saw a dark haired streak go past him, followed by a gleeful shout.

"Hi, Mike. Thanks for coming. The boys have been antsy waiting on that boy." Bobby chuckled as they rough housed in the living room now. "Expected you earlier, what happened?" A hunt, Bobby thought wryly, had to be a hunt.

"A Rugaroo in Indiana. It was a bitch to kill! My first one. Boy, can they fight!" Mike fingered his chest, "Got a first aid kit I could use? Rushed here right after burning it up. Think I need some patching up. Kept it off Ralph, though, so that's okay." Bobby called the boys worried and they rushed in, worried , too. Ralph glared at his father in frustration.

"You didn't have to take on the thing by yourself, Dad. I could have helped!" Ralph hated when his father got overprotective. He could have been killed. Sam helped Mike remove his shirt while Dean and Bobby examined his wounds. Some slashes and teeth marks on his chest and shoulders, and one arm, like he had held it up to keep the thing off him.

"You should have called us in." Dean swore and apologized as he stitched up a couple deeper slashes for the man. They applied the bandages and wrapped his ribs so they could heal better. They dotted alcohol on his lip where it was split a little and some of the cuts on his face. He had been dragged across concrete, they could tell. "You could have been killed, Mike. You should never Hunt one of those bastards by yourself! They're tricky buggers. Stronger than demons, too."

"I know, thought I had it. Killed it, didn't I?" Mike said proudly then wilted under their disapproving looks. 'And almost got both you and your son killed in the process if it went wrong' hung in that look and he smiled sadly, embarrassed at having risked their lives so stupidly now. "Sorry, I'll call next time."

"Damn right you will." Sam said punching him in his good arm, checking the stitches and helping him put on his shirt again. Bobby handed him a pain pill or two. "These may make you a little loopy but they'll ease the pain as your ribs heal, try not to move so much and you'll be fine."

"So, when's dinner?" Mike said trying to lighten the mood but hugging his son close anyway. "I'll let you help more next time, son. I sometimes forget how good you are at this hunting stuff. I just worry too much sometimes."

"That's okay, Dad. I get it." Ralph said kissing his father's cheek and getting up. "I'll make us a sandwich or something, I'm sure Bobby has something to eat in there." He took off and went into the kitchen to do just that, stopping for a minute so his adopted brothers could scour every inch of his body making sure Ralph was okay, too. Finding nothing wrong, they went in with him to help make something for him and his Dad to eat.

"See they missed him." Mike said smiling, "They really love him, don't they?" They treated him like a blood brother rather than the adopted one he was. It made his heart happy to see Ralph and the boys so happy together this way.

"Yeah, kept watching the door the way a woman watches a pregnancy test." Bobby chuckled, "Never seen them smile wider than when you rang that doorbell." They had been so thrilled when they heard the others pull in the yard. "We were worried. You should have called and let us know when that hunt came up like that, we could have helped you." He shot his old friend a fond look and Mike nodded.

"I will. I was stupid to not think of that. Reckless, I get it." Mike said eying the eggnog in the corner, "Could I get some of that nog?"

Bobby chuckled, "It has alcohol in it. Let me mix up some without. I was almost done with it when you rang. I'll be back in a minute." He went to get up and watched as a cup of nog was handed to Mike by Dean and saw Ralph sipping another.

"We got it, Ralph helped." Dean said smiling, flipping on the TV and pulling Ralph between him and Sam on the couch. Charlie Brown came on the screen and for the next hour they enjoyed the Christmas specials before heading up to bed. Bobby and the boys helped Mike get comfortable. Ralph had his own room but chose to stay near his Dad instead, in case he needed his help.

Soon they were asleep and dreaming of the next day.

Xxxxxxxx

The next morning they opened their gifts. Mostly stuff they made themselves or bought on hunts early for Christmas for each other. Bobby and the others got Christmas dinner going and they sat down and watched some football.

They ate supper and Dean tuned up the Impala and Mike's truck for them.

That night they reviewed the cases Bobby had found and picked ones for themselves, and Mike got one, too, promising to let Ralph help more and call if he needed help this time.

They played poker the rest of the day and went to bed exhausted from the good meal and full day of activities. They all reflected they needed to do this again next year, complete with Ralph and Mike coming to celebrate with them. Then Anderson's happily agreed to this.

They went to bed and headed out the next afternoon.

It had been a great family Christmas this year.

Especially with the Andersons there to celebrate it with.

Xxxxxxxxxx

They sure enjoyed their holiday together, didn't they?


	12. Ralph Gets Lost

Ralph is taken and the boys rush to help. Michael is missing, too. Bobby joins them. Yep, it's vampires but Ralph has a secret. He is immune to their bite, wonder how they take that news?

Xxxxxxxxxx

Bobby was worried.

He can't get a hold of the Anderson's. They were supposed to report in soon. They had a possible vampire nest, and they weren't answering. It wasn't like them. They had asked Bobby for help and said they'd call back, but hadn't called.

Not to mention he heard the Impala roaring into the yard and grind to a stop. Bobby met them at the door. Sam and Dean rushed in and looked panicked.

"Anything? Did you hear from them yet?" Dean asked worried. Ralph was missing; they had to find them.

"No, nothing, no answer to their phones either. They always answered those." Bobby said grabbing a weapons bag. "Let's go. I'm riding with you."

No one said a word, just locked the door and got in the car, roaring out to the road. The Anderson's were in Wilmott, Wisconsin. Or they hoped they were.

Either way, they were getting their brother back. And Mike.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The motel room was trashed, some blood here and there. Lamps broken and weapons, their weapons, strewn across the floor. Windows were broken inward. Damn it! Something had went after them, and had got them, a group of somethings, one thing did not do this much damage, and one thing did not get past these two Hunters. No, a group did this.

They dug through their stuff and found their maps. They found the one they had been using under a bed, as if pushed there deliberately. The boys were proud, Ralph had left them the location and hid it before the vamps could catch him doing it. They also swore to kill the thing if it hurt their family. They packed up all the men's things and took them with them. Bobby hotwired their car and drove it behind the boys, hoping to get it back to its owner, safe and sound preferably.

In the meantime, they handed Bobby the recipe for the cure for vampirism and he whipped it up, just in case, and hoped they didn't need it. They'd just need to get the blood of the vamp that turned them and it would be complete.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ralph felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and woke up. He was lying down and bleeding on the bottom of the cage. He sat up groaning and checked for his dad. "Dad?" He whispered. He saw him now, chained to a wall. He approached the man and wanted to cry, "Wake up! Dad, are you okay?" He checked for a pulse and, at his touch, Mike woke up.

"Don't…don't, Son. _Don't do it_." Mike pleaded softly and Ralph looked confused.

"Do what?" Ralph said wondered, even while he unhooked his father from the wall, "It's okay, I got you."

"But…" Now Mike looked confused. "You were…_turned_." He checked his son's mouth, no fangs. Huh.

Ralph tried to recall what had broke into their motel room, overpowered them, and then…pain. He had panicked, couldn't see his Dad. Kept shouting for him, no answer. Then they…bit him, over and over, giving him blood, forcing it down his throat. Red haze…briefly.

Then waking up in a cage, bleeding from wounds…no, bites. Which Mike was currently tending to, to slow the bleeding so his son wouldn't bleed to death here.

"You light-headed, son? Pain? Feel dizzy?" Mike was worried about the blood loss. Ralph was bleeding out through his bites, flesh torn out in places, he needed _bandaged_ and soon! Mike pulled off his shirt and tore it into strips, using it to bandage the bites, and was happy to see the blood being staunched but still soaking through the bandages already. Even Ralph's faster than normal healing couldn't stop it enough; he was going to die if he didn't stop the blood _now_.

"A little, but I'm okay for now. Just can't lose any more blood or I will be in trouble." Ralph said, hugging his father now, relieved.

"But you should be…" Mike was relieved but _damn_ Ralph should be a vampire already. Hell, he should have turned hours ago. Guess whatever Linoge did to his DNA, it made him immune to Vampire blood. Good to know.

Now they just had to get out of here.

"Ah, this is…unexpected." A voice said softly, they turned to see a vampire looking at them confused. "You were _turned,_ why aren't you turned?" The vamp watched and came in now. He stood in front of them and they backed up, holding tightly to each other. "Well, let's do this a different way then." He swatted at Ralph and Ralph ducked under his arm, heading toward the door of the cage.

"Run, get the others!" Mike shouted as the vamp pinned him to the wall while calling for the others. Ralph gave one last look and ran, dialing his phone as he went and praying _someone_ would answer.

The vampire growled as Ralph got away but smiled evilly at the man, "Oh, well, got a swell consolation prize though." He bit into Mike's neck drinking deeply, and then bit his own wrist, letting the blood flow onto Mike's mouth which as clamped shut, so none was getting in. However, he was losing blood from the vamp drinking him this way. If this kept up, he was going to pass out soon himself and then the thing _could _pour it down his throat as he lay there. He really hoped it didn't get that far.

He also prayed that others would show up soon.

He felt his legs weakening and moaned, worried. The bite hurt and the thing was still drinking him. He could feel his strength waning and his eyes getting blurry. He was fighting hard to not pass out. He knew if he did, he most _definitely _would be turned.

He prayed harder for them to show up.

And the vampire kept drinking him down in big gulps, which hurt like crazy with each pull on his blood now.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ralph!" Sam nearly shouted into the phone and they all jumped happily at that one word. "Calm down, tell me what's going on! Ralph?" Sam listened intently and his lips compressed into a tight line now. "Damn it, um. _Stop_ running, hide by a tree. Don't pass out. We're on our way, almost there. We found your map. Yeah, bro. We're coming. Don't worry." Dean threw Sam a worried look at his gasp, "Ralph? Ralph! Are you there!" He looked at Dean with an urgent look now. "_Floor_ it, Dean! I don't care if you _wreck_ us, just get there. I think Ralph's bleeding to death!"

Dean and Bobby growled in worry and rage and did just that, floored it and hoped to all that was good to get there in time to say their friends.

They almost hit Ralph as he lay in the driveway of the place and had to stop to get him. He'd passed out from blood loss and his pulse was thready. "Ralph, wake up, _please_? Can you hear me?" Sam asked but got no response but a slight moan.

"Dad…" came a soft word and Sam's heart broke. He held his little brother and watched as the other two got Mike, hoping they got there in time.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The two Hunters broke in and went to slashing, like a whirlwind they cut their way through the vampires, getting bruised for their efforts but getting through them fairly quickly. Soon they were at the cage and looked in. Mike was on the ground bleeding and the vamp had his mouth pried open, dripping blood into it. Mike was unconscious. But the door was open.

So they burst in and killed the thing with one blow while Bobby got some blood from the vamp adding it to the vial and poured the vial of vampire cure down the man's throat, working his throat with a hand to help it go down all the way, praying it worked. They carried the man between them and headed to the car, which rumbled outside waiting for them. They let Sam sit in the back to tend to the men while Bobby set fire to the barn and got into Mike's car.

They headed to a hospital and prayed they'd be okay.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The story was that they were camping together and the pair had went hiking. They heard screaming and went to see what was wrong. Found them bleeding and hurt, came to the hospital. A good story, had the animal bites to prove it. All a damn lie but a _good _lie.

They had just gotten to them in time. Both were drained to the point of death and it had been touch and go for a while. The men paced like crazy, eyes on the front desk, waiting for news. They did the insurance thing and gave a false address for the pair. Hours later, they were admitted to the rooms where the men were recuperating. The boys went to Ralph and partially hugged him, crying in relief and their eyes showed their happiness at seeing him alive now. They thought they had lost him.

Bobby went with Mike and smiled down at his old friend. Relief oozing from every pore.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"We were so worried!" Dean said as they now sat by Ralph's bed, each taking a side so they could take a hand. "What happened?" he asked softly, looking around to make sure they were alone.

"We were planning our attack and they just busted in. We ran for our weapons, we only had guns on us, nothing that would hurt them. We shot them to give ourselves time. They got Dad and I figured you guys would be worried when we didn't report in, so I hid the map with the location where they wouldn't look for you to find it. I knew you'd find it!" Ralph smiled weakly up at them and they smoothed fingers through his hair, brushing it from his eyes, feeling for fever. "They overpowered us and took us to the barn. They separated us and took me to this table. They said I'd be a perfect addition to their family. I could hear Dad hollering at them to leave me alone but they didn't listen. They all just started biting me and drinking, said I tasted different…off kind of. Then the head guy cut a wrist and put blood in my mouth while they bit me and I screamed in pain. Then I woke up in the cage, bleeding on the floor. Saw Dad and helped him down from where they had tied him to the wall there."

"He figured I'd been turned and he'd be my first meal, so to speak. Somehow their blood didn't turn me; it didn't do anything to me. So the guy said he had a different plan and Dad said to get you guys and run. So I got out while he was attacking Dad, just _left _him there to die! How could I do _that_?" Ralph said shaking now, crying, feeling ashamed.

"He told you to, it's the only way to get help he knew of. You had to run or you never would have reached us and the thing would have _turned _him. It was a good call, Ralph." Sam said, knowing it would _never_ feel like a good call, _it never did_. It felt _wrong _leaving a loved one behind, they'd done it enough in their brotherly lives. It hurt like nothing ever could to make yourself do that, which is probably why they were so _bad_ at doing it. "You saved both your lives by running and calling us, _you really did_."

"I know, still feels _wrong_. But you're right; it was the right thing to do. Why does the right thing always hurt so damn much?" Ralph winced as he reached for some water and Sam sat up and helped him drink some.

"Because it's the right thing. If it didn't hurt, everyone would do it." Sam sighed, "You can always tell what's the right thing to do, it the one thing that hurts the most to do." It was true.

"That sucks." Ralph mumbled unhappily and smiled a little as they squeezed his hands.

"Love you, Ralph." Dean said softly, trying to ease his brother's pain.

"Yeah. love you, bro." Sam said smiling softly.

"Love you, guys, too." Ralph looked sleepy now. So they tucked him in some more and kissed his cheeks, letting him drift off. "So tired, don't leave me."

"We'll stay as long as we can, Ralph. They might kick us out soon." Dean worried. He didn't want Ralph panicking if they weren't there when he woke up. "We won't be far. Just ask for us when you wake up and we'll be in." They would stay and wait to take them to Bobby's, it was the least they could do. Bobby would let them move in; they'd be able to recuperate there easier.

"Okay. Don't go far. Missed you so much lately. Not the same without you around…my family…" Ralph said as a tear slipped down his cheek from under an eyelid as he fell asleep. Both boys sighed and wiped it away, kissing his face and touching his hair.

"Never far away, bro. Never. Never again." Dean vowed, his overprotectiveness kicking in, Sam's, too.

This got no response but a contented smile which they liked very much. They held his hands as he slept and then they waited to be kicked out.

Not leaving his side unless they had to. So glad to have him back safe and sound.

Xxxxxxxx

"Mike, we were worried." Bobby said and Mike nodded.

"Was going to call but they jumped us." Mike said and reached for the ice water, thirsty again. "Thought for sure Ralph would kill me when he woke up. They should have turned him; they did all the stuff that turned a person. Somehow, whatever Linoge did to him, it made him immune to their venom or their blood, or whatever it is that turns them." Mike smiled in relief. "Glad it didn't work."

"Me, too." Bobby said then frowned, "If we hadn't got there when we did, you'd have been turned though."

"I know. I tried not to pass out, knew they would do that. I just felt him drinking too much of my blood and it all went dark." Mike said sadly, "How'd I not get turned?"

"Vampire cure, Campbell thing, got it from an old friend, years ago. If you don't drink blood for 24 hours, it can reverse it." Bobby said and sighed, the nurse was back.

"How's Ralph?" Mike asked and Bobby smiled.

"He's fine, with the boys as we speak. When we get you out of this place, you're coming to stay with me. You need time to recuperate after this. No arguments!" Bobby insisted.

Mike nodded, "Good idea, could use the break." He sighed as she slipped him some pills which he took with the water, setting it back onto the night stand. He waited until the nurse was gone and added, "Tired of hunting damn vamps, it's always vamps. Now I know how the boys feel about being termed Demon Hunters. Sucks to specialize." It was true, he and Ralph were considered Vampire Hunters, for the most part, just as those boys were considered Demon Hunters, which they did end up fighting…a lot.

"Yep, it does." Bobby said going to leave. "We're here until you get released; just ask for me when you wake up. Wait, you never told me what happened when you went back to Little Tall." Bobby sat down again, since they _technically_ hadn't told him he had to leave yet.

"Not much, went to cemetery, Ralph went to her grave to visit. I couldn't. I hate her, I can't bring myself to visit her grave, so angry at her for…everything she did…giving him …you know. Hate all of them, their damn secrets! My son, he was the price for their…secrets. They held me down and gave my son to that…_thing_. Told me it would be okay and that I'd understand later. I never did, Bobby, I _never _understood what they did! My son, _I lost my son_, and had to fight for years to get him back." He smiled coldly now, "They wanted me to forgive them, and I just…couldn't. Wished them all dead as Molly." Mike sighed sadly, "Know that's wrong but it's how I felt, still do really." He shrugged his shoulders, "I _hate_ them."

"Not _wrong_. We wish the same thing. Hate them, too. Be glad we didn't go with you, we might have killed them for you." Dean said from the doorway. "They gave your son to a demon to save their own lives, so, yeah, you're not wrong there." Both he and Sam thought of those people and wished them painful deaths, with their secrets making the rest of their lives unbearable. Their brother, so precious to them, so close to losing the chance to know him because of their actions. If the ritual had failed, they would have had to kill Ralph, just a _kid_. It was _wrong_! _You don't give your kids to demons, you just don't!_

Michael nodded at their approach, "How's Ralph?" They smiled.

"He's fine, rooms warded. He'll be okay." Dean said and Bobby stood now as the nurse leaned in to tell him he had to leave now. "We'll be here, not leaving."

"Thanks." Mike said and looked around his room. "Ward mine, too, would ya? Don't want possessed while I'm sleeping." Both men nodded and did just that, discreetly as they could. Soon they were done, and headed to the waiting room.

Two days later, the Andersons were released and they all headed home to Bobby's.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few weeks later, Ralph headed out to the Impala to see his brothers. Both were giving her a tune-up and changing out the spark plugs. They hugged him as he joined them, leaning in to watch. Sam got a spark plug and held it out to Ralph, who let Dean show him how to put it in. Then they let him help with the work on the car, smiling as they instructed him on what to do.

Mike watched from the porch smiling, sipping a beer with Bobby. "They're good boys, all three of them." He said proudly. His stitches didn't hurt as much now and Ralph's had healed after two weeks to nothing, not even scars, except for the places where the vamps had torn pieces of flesh out, there were little dips in the flesh where those had healed up at. Apparently he got some benefits from the thing with…Linoge . "They said his blood tasted…off, like it was different."

"So is Sam's, once that demon blood gets in there, it leaves traces sometimes. I wouldn't worry; he would have shown traces of demon-ness by now. Probably will have some residual abilities: the strength, speed, and healing. Got locked in his cells somehow. You said he was with the thing for years; some powers probably did get locked into his cells by the blood. He'll be fine." Bobby said reassuringly and Mike nodded.

"I'm not. So Sam still has the demon blood?" Mike asked as he looked at the man and shook his head; he didn't see it. Sam was a good man, a good Hunter; it was hard to believe there was demon _anything_ in there.

"Yeah, but he doesn't let it win. Most of the time you would never know it was in him at all." Bobby said and Mike nodded again.

"Like Ralph." Mike agreed, glad Ralph had someone like him to understand what he was going through like Sam could.

"Like Ralph." Bobby nodded and they now sat in silence.

"They staying now, too, like us? Not leaving. This is their home base now, too?" Mike asked and smiled.

"Yeah, have been since you guys got here from the hospital. They promised Ralph they'd stay if he did." Bobby smiled, "They sure _love_ that boy."

"Yeah, they do. He loves them, too." Mike said happy for them as well. "It feels nice having a home again, Bobby. Ralph deserves one. Speaking of, we need to get him registered for school soon."

"Yeah, we should. How about tomorrow we do that and get him some school supplies first? He needs a backpack, too." Bobby said and Mike nodded, "He can hunt on breaks and during summers, too. He graduates in what, another year?"

"Yeah, he missed a lot of school but we've tried to let him go to some while we hunted, settling at times so he could go. Like Sam and Dean did, I hated to do it but, with hunting, it was a necessity really. He's a junior now. He may have to start over though, not sure yet. They may let him finish and be a senior next year."

"They did with Sam, more than once. It should be fine." Bobby said, ticking off a mental list of supplies they needed to get, "You got any money or do you need me to cover it?" Mike hadn't mentioned their cash situation but Bobby knew he didn't pull scams or hustle for money but had always had money to take care of his family. Mike wasn't comfortable with the shadier money side of hunting.

"Nah, I got it. I've had a bank account for years now, several thousand, I saved it up. Got a college fund for Ralph, too, if he decides to go. If he doesn't and decides to hunt, that's okay, too. It's his choice. I won't push him if he doesn't want to go." Mike eyed his son with a bitter look now, "He's got a lot for himself, too. His mom left him a pretty good amount when she died. Close to $50,000 actually. I've managed to invest it and save it for him. He's up to $150,000 now." Mike blushed under Bobby's proud look at him, "It's nothing, I just have knack with that kind of thing, always have. Dad used to say I would have been good on Wall Street, if I hadn't been so dead set on being a cop."

"I'll say, I'd like to let you do it for me, too. Now that you mention it." Bobby said and Mike nodded happy to do it.

"I'd be glad to, for them, too. If they want me to." Mike agreed. He'd call his investing firm in the morning about it, "Got my own firm, you know."

"What? You mean…all this time, you were…" Bobby looked at his friend in surprise now.

"Rich. Yes, I inherited it from my Dad. I just never wanted it for myself. Ralph didn't either, I asked. We just want to hunt, Bobby. And be here with you guys. Money don't mean nothing, family is everything. Don't tell them, okay? It's my past life, not the one I have now. I have a manager run it for me. No big deal. You won't tell them, right?" Mike pleaded and Bobby nodded, he understood, "I _love_ this place, and, most of all, I love you guys, too. This is my home now."

"They love you, too, Mike. You're like a second father to them. You know that?" Bobby pointed out; they were almost as protective of Mike as they were of Ralph and Bobby now. "I won't say anything about the other stuff, it's yours to tell, not me. Besides, I like you here. You can stay as long as you like."

"No, I didn't know they felt that way about me but it's an honor be in that club." Mike agreed and smiled, "I love them, too. Such _good_ boys."

"Yeah, such _good_ boys." Bobby said and took a sip of beer. He heard the phone ring and went to answer it but Mike waved him off, taking the file Bobby handed him for the guy.

Soon Bobby heard, "Director Richards here." A Hunter using a FBI cover story, Mike playing his boss for the check the authorities were running on the guy. He sounded convincing, too. Former FBI helped. Mike would be good at this. He could use the assistance, hmmm. Maybe he could help Bobby more with the research and the phones and hunt less; it would make Bobby feel better and the help would be appreciated.

He knew they wouldn't give up hunting, they weren't ready to yet. But they could do a few hunts but more stuff here; that would work, too.

The boys laughed about something and the men smiled, too. They went over to talk to the little group, too.

To spend time with their family.

xxxxxxxxx


	13. Ralph Starts School

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or the characters thereof. Stephen King owns Ralph and Michael Anderson. I own the rest.

**Warning: Language, graphic imagery. **

**Plot: **Ralph is finally settling into Bobby's house with his Dad and his new brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester. Which, of course, involves going to High School in town now. But Ralph quickly finds out that being a hunter and a Winchester, not to mention being part demonic can be hazardous to his health and future. He also is learning that Linoge changed him in ways that could hurt him and those around him in the very worst ways, too.

And where does the girl that is stalking him fit in? Is she friend or foe?

Ralph finds out he has more demon problems than he originally thought he did and no one likes it at all. Especially Bobby and the Winchesters. This is a whole new version of Demon trouble they never expected to face and are forced to come up with a better way of dealing with; not just demons but the demons inside those they love most.

Enjoy!

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next week was spent getting school supplies and school clothes. They also got him registered soon after. Ralph was thrilled to be back in school and soon was seen tromping into the house everyday with his stack of books and turning on his laptop to do most of the work on, with the books to help, of course.

He never once complained but settled for the promise he got to hunt during spring break. He made a couple friends and even had a girl flirting with him now.

But along with the good, he got the bad, too.

He signed up to try out for football and got chosen. He was fast and strong, lithe and graceful in his movements, easily avoiding even the best tackles on the team. He thought this was easier than hunting; the monsters hit harder, ran faster, and were much harder to avoid than these other people were. He smirked and waited for the list to come out. Then he ran out to the Impala, where his brothers waited, and headed home, bouncing in his seat the whole time.

Then he showed them the paper. He was on the team, running back! He was so proud!

"But you have demon strength and healing, you sure you can hide those?" Bobby worried, the boy was only going to get stronger and heal faster, not to mention the telepathy that had shown up the other day. It was a lot of temptation to use it, even Sam knew this and he was working with Ralph to ensure he could handle his powers and the demon shit as best he could now.

"I won't use the strength or the telepathy! I just want to be normal. I can do this. I won't let the demon stuff show, promise!" Ralph said, near tears. "I just…_please!"_

They hated that look, as often as Sam used to wear it, they ought to. Ralph craved some normal in his life and none of the men could begrudge him that. "You be on that team, bro. You can do this and control your demon aspects; we'll just keep working on that, okay?" Sam said softly, "I'm so proud of you, Ralph!" Then they sat on each side of him now. "When do the practices begin? When is your first game?"

"Well, the practices start tomorrow after school and the first game is a week from now, in Saturday night. Can you come see me play?" Ralph asked.

"We should, got a brief hunt in Connecticut to take care of. Might take a day or two but we'll be back soon." Sam said and added, "We'll be there at all your games if we can make it. "

"Be careful, okay?" Ralph said worried.

"It's just a voodoo thing. We'll be fine." Dean said and sighed, "Several tourists have gone missing but are seen wandering aimlessly at night. We just have to kill the priest and destroy his altar, scatter his spell stuff, purify it with fire. That should do it." He nodded, "Don't worry. We'll be back by Friday at the latest."

Ralph let it go and prayed for them, tossing one in for the other Sam as well, like he always did now.

Soon they were pulling out and gone. Ralph got his work done and cleaned off the kitchen table for supper. Then they ate and he watched television for a bit then headed to bed. Where he worried about his brothers. Voodoo meant witch and witch meant bad news for them both. He knew they would be careful, they knew how bad it was when dealing with witches.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two days later, Ralph was heading to the field, to the practice. When he was jumped by three men, all players for his team. But their eyes were black and he knew what had happened; they had been possessed. "Winchester!" One hissed as it dove at him and he deftly avoided its attack, and punching it out with his demon strength. It fell flat to the ground now. He did the same to the other too, and did the exorcism. The demons smoked out and he checked their pulses. They were okay, just out like lights.

He went to the field again and they soon came up to sit near him, to whisper. "What just happened? We were attacked by smoke and then we were attacking you, and couldn't do anything but watch ourselves do it." The sandy haired boy asked, confused. "Was that real?"

"Yes, it was real." Ralph answered quietly, keeping the conversation between them now. "They were demons and they have smoky forms. They possessed you and tried to kill me." Ralph saw their shocked looks and saw their apologies already forming in their minds now. "Don't apologize. Demons try to kill me a lot. I got used to it." He grinned, and got up now. "You'll be fine; just don't repeat what we just discussed. One, people will think you are insane. Two, if you betray my secret, I'll have to hurt you for real next time. What I did back there is only a taste of my real fighting skills."

"Not going to say a word, it sounds crazy and we don't want to be known as the crazy boys of the school, no thank you! We just have to ask. What are you? What are you really?" A darker haired one asked, standing with the group now.

"A Hunter. I hunt supernatural shit, like the demons that went after you." Ralph admitted, "Not a word, you hear me?" His eyes were cold and voice laced with threats now. No longer being subtle, he wouldn't let himself be exposed.

"No problem, we won't say a thing!" One nearly yelped as another approached and asked, "What won't you say a thing about?"

"Nothing. Just he has a crush on Sarah Mueller." The boys had seen the way those two kept accidentally meeting at his locker, even though hers was on the other side of the school; they were pretty sure. "We were saying he should just ask her out."

"Yeah, she's a good catch, Ralphie." The new guy oozed, being friendly but Ralph read his thoughts. He hated Ralph. He hated him because he was secretly gay and desired the tall boy, so handsome and sexy. He was also homophobic. So he projected his rage toward himself for feeling this way into meanness, bullying the boy rather than admitting he had homosexual tendencies. Ralph saw this and remained calm.

Then they went to practice and sat around afterward talking until they had to go. The others left but the other boy stayed, staring at him with lust and hatred in equal portions. Ralph awaited his decision on how to deal with this. Bobby wasn't due for another half hour. He had time and he wanted to deal with this guy now rather than later.

The boy did two things simultaneously and causing Ralph to react to each one just as quickly.

He punched Ralph off the bottom seat of the bleachers and Ralph fell to the ground. Then the other boy leaned in and kissed him gently, then punched him again, splitting his lip. "Faggot!" He hissed at Ralph as Ralph lay still under his kiss again, letting him finish before fixing the situation.

Ralph did a leg sweep now and the boy fell onto his back, air dispelling with a loud hmmph! All the breath knocked out of him now. Then Ralph pinned him with a foot to his windpipe. "Now that we got that out of the way, let's deal with this." Ralph said in a cool emotionless voice. "It's not my fault you are secretly feeling gay and like me. I don't fault or judge you for that. It's how you are, so you best just comes to terms with it. You can't keep punching everyone you're attracted to or you will _never_ get a lover that way. And, two, I'm straight and not interested in you that way. _But _if you stop being a jerk and let it go, and eventually want friends, then I'll be your friend; _just _your friend." Ralph waited, "You done attacking me?" The boy nodded fearfully, and Ralph helped him up. "However, the kiss was nice; before you punched me again and then kissed me _again_, that was. You should try kissing someone else. You're good at it."

"So you aren't going to beat the crap out of me for what I did?" The boy said in disbelief and surprise. Eyes wide.

"No, I understand why you did it and forgive you. Just don't repeat it or lay a hand on me again in violence or I will beat you bloody, gay or not. And its Ralph, _not_ 'Ralphie' " Ralph said and the boy cringed from him now. He heard the beep and left the boy staring at him. "My ride's here; I have to go. Remember, I only give one second chance."

Then he got in the car and dabbed his lip with his shirt cuff.

"Everything okay?" Bobby asked, having witnessed the whole thing and admiring how he had handled it.

"Fine, we were just getting to know each other." Ralph said and added, "Don't tell Dad, he'll get overprotective on me."

"I won't. So he got the point?" Bobby said grinning and Ralph now grinned back.

"Yeah, I think so." Ralph said and added, "Three demons jumped me earlier but I exorcised them. The boys are fine and I think we're going to be friends. Funny thing, when the demons jumped me, they called me 'Winchester' How'd they know?"

Bobby had no idea how to deal with this one, but he did his best.

"Not sure about the demon part, you hang around them a lot and they do call you 'Bro' a lot, too. They were going to figure it out soon enough, you boys are close enough they were bound to. Besides they read minds and might have picked it up there." Bobby said worried now.

"No, it wasn't like that. They were waiting for me like they knew I was coming and were looking for me specifically." Ralph said concerned, "Like an ambush, or a…" His eyes went wide at this thought.

"A Hit." Bobby said softly, voice full of fear now. "There's a Hit out on you, demon style. It explains it. Maybe it's a one-time thing."

"Why would there be a hit out on me?" Ralph said perplexed.

"I can think of several. One, you're super demon boy without the demon part and only getting more powerful, that could pose a threat to someone in power in Hell. Two, you _are _related to the Winchesters now and you are their weakness, they could be using you to hurt them. Also, you are a really great Hunter, a prodigy really, like Dean. They could fear that."

"Well, those are just some really compelling reasons, aren't they?" Ralph muttered, "Wasn't Linoge bad enough?"

"Nope, he was just a different kind of demon than these are that we fight." Bobby said and got serious. "We have to tell them." He looked at Ralph who wore a resigned expression, "I know." Ralph responded. "I just can anticipate three different versions of overprotectiveness and _all_ aimed at me."

"Yeah, me, too." Bobby said and sighed, the boy was right. They were all going to overreact and get overprotective when they found out. "I'll try to get them to tone it down, let you stay in school and all. I'll do my best." He would try and make them listen. He knew they would, they always listened to Bobby, _sometimes _even obeyed him.

Then the phone rang and Bobby panicked.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sam, slow down, say that again!" Bobby urged. Then listened. "Stay there, I'm coming. Got Ralph with me, I'll grab Mike. We'll leave now. Don't leave or move, we're coming!" He shut the phone with a click and sped faster.

"What? What's wrong with Sam?" Ralph worried. Bobby acted panicked and that did not bode well for the boys. "Are they hurt?" He quickly read his mind and got pissed. They were cursed and hurt!

"Yes, cursed…again. Apparently the Voodoo priest got part of a spell out before they killed him, and now they are too hurt to drive home." Bobby explained, the boy would glean it from his mind if he didn't say it. Ralph being telepathic had its drawbacks. You couldn't hide stuff from him anymore.

They were pulling into the yard now and Bobby told him, "Go get your Dad. Tell him we'll tell him what's going on while we're on the way, hurry!" Ralph jumped out and ran in, a minute later both father and son ran out with weapons duffels over their shoulders. They shoved the duffels in the backseat and Ralph rode with Bobby while Michael got into their new truck, and they pulled out, locking the gate behind them on the way.

Bobby wouldn't elaborate on the curse. To Ralph, he didn't need to, he already knew it. Michael would find out later. Bobby would tell them soon enough or they would see for themselves.

They were headed to Edgefield, Connecticut and the boys.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

They knocked on the door of the motel room while Ralph peeked in the window as best he could.

"He's coming. He's moving down the wall slowly. He looks bad off, too." Ralph worried, "Pick the lock, he just fell down again. Still awake but he is having a hard time getting back up."

Bobby got the lock picked in seconds and they rushed in. Sam was on the bed shivering and sweating, his breathing raspy. His eyes swept across the room and he looked terrified. Dean was doing the same but still able to stand with Ralph and Michael's help. "Is he okay? Not…dead?" Dean rasped out, trying to breathe now, "He just passed out and I was almost passed out when you knocked." He wobbled and gripped the men harder. "Dizzy. Feel horrible."

"How much did he get out?" Bobby had to ask, helping them into the Impala. Ralph sat between them now, cleaning them off and nursing them in the process. Checking their pulses in turns while he was at it.

"Not sure, he was using some weird language. Wasn't Latin or any dialect we'd ever heard." Dean shook his head to clear it. "We didn't dare get close so we used the rifle to do a distance shot. This guy was _beyond _witch dangerous and we were trying to be careful. Then we went down, destroyed the altar and stopped his spell but…not in time. He met our eyes as he died, guess he finished the spell mentally as he stared at us, like he knew just where we were…_strange._"

"So what are you feeling? Tell me." Michael said and Ralph tended to them still. The phone was on speaker, had been since they had begun talking. They were speeding home as fast as Bobby could push the Impala to go. And that was saying a lot!

"Dizzy, weak, got some shakes and it is like breathing through sludge. At first our eyes just got blurry and it was hard to focus but then…it was hard not to pass out." Then he held up a finger and clamped a hand over his mouth, when he could speak again, "Now nausea."

"Sounds like an unfinished voodoo death curse." They all looked at him for more information now, so Bobby continued, "The curse should have killed you painfully. But since it was incomplete, you only got the sickness part. It won't kill you but it will take a couple days to let it run its course. You need to rest and take it easy until then." Bobby caught their look and shrugged, "Got hit with a curse the same way a few times, feels like an intense cross between the stomach flu and pneumonia. But it only lasts a couple days. Yeah, witches hated me, too."

"Still do." Michael chuckled, "Remember Dallas? When you helped with that coven a few months ago." They were on the phone as they spoke at the moment.

"Oh, yeah…" Bobby chuckled back through the phone. "Man, she was pissed! Threw up for two days straight on that one."

"Uh huh." Michael said and they heard him sigh. " Regular cold medicine should help with the illness and we need some oxygen tanks and breathing equipment. It should keep their lungs going until the spell goes away. We should get that right away, The hallucinations haven't kicked in yet so we'd better be home when they do. We hallucinate what scares us _most_, the voodoo ones do that for _sure_. And we all know what Hunters do with things that scare them."

They killed them, and damned if that didn't make them drive faster now. In no time, they had gotten the oxygen and the equipment, the medicine, too. The boys were laid down in the panic room, two cots pushed together and the door was left open for now.

They managed to wake Sam enough to give him the meds and get the breathing mask on him, and laid him back down. Dean took his and got his own mask on, then passed out on the cot himself. Their hands were joined now and the others had to smile. They were letting each other know, even in their sleep that they were there for each other and everything would be okay. They were breathing easier now and the others saw the oxygen was keeping them breathing normally now.

That night the hallucinations came on and they tried to kill the others. The shotguns and knives flashed as they fought them off and finally backed them off from them. Thankfully no one was cut or injured, those boys had tried their damndest in their fury to kill them and they were really good at that part usually. _Hating_ this shit already, fucking curses!

"Demons! We see your eyes, black! Get out of our friends!" They had shouted and then had to be restrained and cried so it made the others' hearts hurt. "Dean, no, we're alone! All gone, they took them, how did they get in? The wards!" Sam sobbed and collapsed in their arms now.

"I don't know but they're gone, possessed." Dean said taking Sam and holding him as they cried together. "We should try the words anyway. Maybe we can save them?"

"Yes, let's try." Sam said and they stayed close by as the boys said the words and nothing happened. They looked confused and the others grabbed them. They took them back to the panic room and buckled them to their cots again. Then locked the door. The next afternoon, they were themselves again and had gotten loose from their cots, but still shivered and shook on them, the masks still firmly attached.

They flinched from the others in grief and horror when they tended to them and pushed at them with their hands but didn't try to kill them again; they were too weak to and passed out each time. By Thursday, they were fine and fully recovered.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam woke up to being in the panic room and there was a mask on his face helping him breathe. He worked it off and struggled with his bonds. He looked over to see Dean doing the same, both very confused.

They turned to look and saw the door unlocking and opening. Ralph ran in and hugged them. "I knew you never meant to kill me, I just knew it! You okay now? The spell over?"

"Uh, what?" Dean said confused as they untied them, helping them up. "What the hell do you mean 'kill you' ? We would never do that!"

"But you tried to kill them, too…said we were demons." Ralph went one, "You did! You _did_." He hugged them again. "It was the spell. Come upstairs. You need to eat and we'll explain." He gave them a look, "You don't remember anything?"

"Just the motel and you coming for us, and then going into the panic room. After that, it gets fuzzy." Dean said, "Did we hurt you guys?"

"No, we restrained you and got you back in here. You were hallucinating us as demons." Bobby explained, and they headed upstairs now.

After a good meal they sat down and sipped a beer. They were told what had happened while they were out.

"So we almost killed you? Hallucinated demons and did all that stuff in there, the shaking and passing out stuff?" Sam asked and then sighed, "_Sorry._ We didn't mean to."

"Yeah, sorry." Dean said looking upset. What if they had succeeded? They would all be… "So sorry!"

Ralph read his thoughts and smiled, "We're okay. Let it go. Now, how do you feel? Normal now?"

"I think so." Dean said and smiled back. "Sam?"

"I'm fine. That was one _bad_ spell. Damn witch!" Sam growled.

"That would be Voodoo priest. Not witch. Much more powerful than any witch or sorcerer really." Bobby informed them. "His magic infected you but didn't get to kill you. You interrupted his spell and it's a good thing, too. It was a killing spell and it would have killed you painfully and fast." He looked at them in relief, "Glad it didn't. Thanks for calling us before it hit you too hard."

"I just barely got the call done before it knocked me out. Dean said he'd wait for you to arrive." Sam said softly and worked some of his neck muscles loose by twisting his neck, "Think I slept wrong."

"It's likely." Dean agreed, rubbing his neck and working his own kinks loose. "Got any aspirin, head still hurts." He rubbed his temple.

"Probably slept too much, it should fade soon. You still need to rest so sit on the couch and watch some TV. I have to get Ralph to school, he's late as it is." Michael said and all three boys drooped. "You can drive him when you feel better. I'll just help out until then."

"Can I…" Ralph bit a lip then turned to leave. The boys caught it and looked concerned.

"Ralph?" Dean asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Will you play some games with me later on my new system? You can rest still… and play with me." Ralph said as he paused to close the door behind him.

"We'd love to!" Sam grinned and nudged Dean, "I rock at Doom."

"As if." Dean teased back and sighed, "Can we practice while you're at school?"

"Sure, it's up in my room. Bobby will get it for you. Stay on that couch, I mean it. I think the Doom game is in the system still. Just put in the memory card and it should be ready for you to save your games." Ralph looked away and added, "I'm _really_ glad you didn't die. Or…"

"Kill you?" Dean added the rest sadly, regretfully. "We would _never_…"

"Of course not, I'd have killed you first." Ralph said with an equally regretful look, "It would have killed me if I had to have done that."

"You mean you would have killed us if we'd have _really_ got close to killing you?" Sam said, eyes full of fear and respect for the boy now.

"Yes." Ralph said and sighed, "I'm not like you guys, part of me is cold that way. It don't care, it just wants to do what has to be done and doesn't care how it does it really. It just reacts, it doesn't think. When the demon changed me, he put that part into me. But the biggest part of me, the part that I want to keep more than anything, really loves you and hates that I would do that. And part of me won't care or hurt if it did. I know that is messed up and wrong but…it's the way I am. I'm sorry." He hung his head as the car beeped, crying a little, he looked up one last time. "Don't want me for a brother anymore now, huh? I'm evil, part of me is. I won't let it out, I swear! Don't tell Dad or Bobby, please? I know they would freak if they knew about this. I can't risk them not loving me or you but…you asked and I was trying to be honest." He sighed and looked at them sadly, "They might hate me or try to kill me if they knew I was that cold inside, too. It's _beyond_ demonic."

The boys walked over and hugged him, kissing his cheek and looking him in the eye.

"We love you and would never reject you for having darkness inside you. It isn't your fault it is in you, he did that to you and now you have to live with it. Sam has it, too. So do I and so do they, but not like you and Sam. You carry _real_ darkness inside you, the '_honest to goodness, let it out and it will kill everything you love'_ kind of darkness. You are colder because you have to be to hold back the darkness and that is the price of that. The darkness corrupts and would kill the goodness if it was held back by it, the goodness wouldn't survive it. So you had to have a colder, more emotionless, crueler part to do that; something the darkness couldn't touch or hurt. That is why you have to be so cold! It keeps you good and keeps your darkness away." Dean sighed again, "If we had got close to killing you guys, we would have wanted you to kill us. We're _glad _you were willing to do that. It would have saved them and you know we would never want to live in a world where we were responsible for killing you guys."

"And if I went bad and tried to kill them or you? Would you do the same for me?" Ralph said and saw their faces; now knowing they never could but _needing _them to. "Would you if it would save Bobby?"

"We…I…I don't know." Dean said, suddenly feeling like his heart was breaking, "No."

"No." Sam said.

"See? I'm beyond evil." Ralph said and left now, "I'm sorry."

"Still our brother, not evil! Nothing would _ever _change that." Sam said hugging him and ruffling his hair. "You are good, Ralph. Part of you isn't but it's not even a big part. Ignore it. Keep fighting it."

"Yeah, I stayed with Sam through his and he killed me in the future; with a smile even." Dean said and hugged him one last time, "You'll always be our brother. Cold, warm, good or otherwise. We'll keep you good. We love you, bro."

"So you won't give up on me? Still want me as your brother? Ralph smiled a little even now, relieved.

"Yep, and we're going to kick your ass on Doom later. Gonna shoot you _lots_. You _evil_ brother you." Dean teased and Ralph grinned arrogantly, "As if, that's _my_ game, man!" Ralph teased back.

"We'll see. Get to school and we'll see you after football practice." Sam said and smiled, getting tired already. Still not fully over the illness apparently. "We need to practice kicking your ass while you're gone."

"Sam, Dean. I love you guys." Ralph said grinning happily now, "I'm glad you're okay now."

"Us, too. Love you, too." Sam said and Ralph left. They watched him go now and their smiles slipped away.

"His _darkness,_ his _coldness_, it's _nothing_ like mine was, Dean. He'd have _really_ killed us and never blinked at all or even gave it the _barest _of thoughts!" Sam worried as he spoke now, "How can we fight that level of evil?" Linoge had done this and they hated that demon so much more now, "How do we save him from it?"

"We just love him, Sammy. He's our brother and we don't give up on him because of it." Dean said softly, "He would have killed us out of love for the others, not just because the coldness." He sighed and added, "He loves us, it's true, but he has the heart of Hunter but the coldness of a demon sometimes, _too_. If we really do love him, we have to love that other part, too. I accepted yours so…we should accept his, too. If not, we could lose him to it, like I could have lost you to yours, Sammy. I don't want to lose him."

"Me either." Sam said, "Besides the cold part would make him better able to deal the bad stuff, so that's a benefit." He got quiet now and worried anyway. "He _has_ to keep fighting it! It can't win or it will kill _everyone,_ not _just_ us! "

"He will. We'll help." Dean said smiling as they sat down again, and then went to get the game and system to play downstairs. "So going to kick his ass later at Doom."

"Yeah, we are." Sam grinned and waited. With some practice, he suspected he wouldn't die too fast death in the game, at least. But it would be fun playing it with his brothers, so what the hell if he did?

Xxxxxxxxxxx

At school, Dean sat with the other players and chatted about the upcoming game. He saw the blonde girl watching him and she looked away blushing. He thought she was pretty. She seemed to always be there when he looked around after feeling he was being watched.

And she stood there and watched in worry as he beat down and exorcised two possessed teens on the way across the campus.

And he had suddenly missed her watching him on the way to practice and got a _bad _feeling. She was too persistent to just _not _show up! So he backtracked and saw her struggling with three demons and fighting them fairly well. Then jumped into help anyway. Demons should leave pretty girls alone!

Once they were exorcised, he noticed she had ran off but caught her by the field waiting for him.

"Stalking me again?" He teased, "You know, I should at least know your name if you're going to be following me around." He smiled and laughed as she blushed.

"I wasn't…" She mumbled and looked up in embarrassment. "I can explain."

"Uh huh." Ralph said knowingly and felt her aura, demonic but…_different._ "What are you, and be honest." Then he added, "What's your name?"

"You're not freaked I was stalking you?" she asked in surprise.

"Nah, I'm a hunter, I'm used to _that_. Never been stalked by someone so pretty before though. I like that in a girl." Ralph smiled, "Name?"

She shrugged and answered. "Lila."

"And you are?" He pushed.

"Complicated." She said and groaned.

"Uncomplicate it." Ralph said softly, but she felt the coldness and cringed. "I mean it." His eyes stayed on hers. "I will kill you if you are trying to hurt me. So, speak."

"Um, I don't think you have enough time for me to." She said and he sighed. He had practice in five minutes. _Damn_ it! "I could stay and watch, then explain." She wouldn't mind that. He was cute in his uniform! She would have watched him anyway, like she always did.

"Fine, but you stay, don't go. I will find you if you do." Ralph said then smiled, "Please stay?"

"I will." She said and they headed to the field.

After practice, they talked until Bobby came to get him.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm Lila Parclay." She began, "And I'm here to protect you from my father. And to keep from being taken back to Hell for running away and disobeying his orders to stay away from you." She said sadly, "That's where it gets complicated."

"Well, tell me." Ralph said and motioned for Bobby to join them. He shut off the car and sat by them now. "Who is your father, a high level demon?" Something demonic, he could tell.

"He's the Ruler of Hell and wants your head on a stick. He put a hit out on you because you are the only being powerful enough to take his throne from him if you get to grow into your powers. I overheard and saw your picture, and…I disagreed. You don't want to be there in Hell nor do you want his throne, he's just being hardheaded and paranoid. He's my Dad, but…he's wrong. So I snuck up here to keep you alive until I can make him see you aren't a threat. But there's also a faction that _wants_ you to have his throne and wants to corrupt you enough to take it. They want you in Hell ruling them and they will do anything to get you there." She saw their fearful look, and sighed, "One wants you turned and the other wants you dead, and I…I just want you to live and be human, like you are now! I know you don't trust demons but my mother was human and died in childbirth. Dad took me down to Hell to live afterward, he didn't want to. I never went demonic but became something else. Both, like Sam and you."

She smiled, "I like living in Hell, it is my home but…you are more important and Dad is wrong. I just wish I could make him see that! I adore him but he keeps sending demons to bring me back. I have to keep moving and hiding, while still watching and protecting you, if they'd leave me alone long enough to do it!" She sighed, "I know you don't trust me but it's true. I'm not like Ruby was. I only want you keep being you and being…_not_ demonic. I don't want that!" She eyed him with worry though. "They will try it though, once they think of it, and, trust me, those conniving bastards will think of it eventually."

"I won't let them have you…" She blushed and thought she wanted him for herself but that meant life in Hell so she sighed unhappily. She liked him but… not at that price. This boy didn't belong there and she did. "It wouldn't work so don't worry, Ralph, I would never act on it." She knew he had read her mind and let him know she wouldn't hurt him that way.

Ralph explained her thoughts and Bobby nodded sadly, agreeing with her. It would break her heart to do this but she would do it. He knew her heart liked him but wouldn't doom him to Hell to have him for herself.

"I have to go. They'll find me again and… I have to find another place to stay and get it warded. I don't have much time." She said and looked around fearfully. "My stuff was at the house! _Crap_." Her brown eyes glowed red and she sighed. "They found my house, got my stuff. The house is burning. _Damn it!" _She went to run now, literally. "They'll come after me next! I don't have long!" She groaned at the sight of three demons that entered the field now. "Damn, they're quick!" She went to run and Bobby took her hand.

"This way." He said and they ran for the car now. They dove in and he started it, revved it and peeled out, leaving the demons glaring and smoking out of their hosts now. "Damn it!" Bobby saw them following and squealed the tires as he sped to the house, not letting up on the gas. He saw Jodie's surprise look as he wizzed by and she looked behind him in terror, the demons were smoking clouds, right on their tail. She didn't pursue him, he had demons after him. She'd call in few to make sure they got away though.

Bobby pulled by the porch and beeped loudly, grabbing her and Ralph followed. The boys jerked the door open panicked and they dove in, slamming and holding the door shut as the demons hit it full force then screamed in rage and pain and the wards repelled them now. Wind whipped the house but it ended soon after with howls of fury.

"What the hell are they after?" Dean gasped. Those demons were sure determined to get someone! _Them_?

"Her." Ralph said reading their minds, "We can explain."

"Please do." Sam said and they did.

"So you're the Devil's daughter and you want to save Ralph from Hell?" Sam asked, not believing her.

"No, not the Devil's. That is Lucifer and he's in a cage. My Dad is a demon who rules in Hell right now and is having an _extremely_ paranoid moment." She clarified and sighed. "I don't want Ralph turned or anywhere near Hell but others do. I'm not Ruby. I don't mess with Demon blood or anything like that. I'm the only thing keeping the demons from taking Ralph and making him their ruler! They will corrupt and turn him, so _don't _look at me that way!" She looked right at the boys, "I am _not_ like the others and I will prove it. If I don't get captured and taken back to Dad like the disobedient child I am first."

"So why are you here? Don't you have a hiding place?" Dean asked. Poor girl looked frazzled and tired.

"Fuckers burned my house I was squatting in and stole my stuff! Bobby and Ralph made me come with them when the demons found me again." She peeked outside, "I should go."

"No!" Ralph shouted, still sensing the demons nearby, "Bobby! Make her stay!" He sighed. "They're still out there."

"You heard the kid, you aren't going anywhere. Please stay?" Bobby said, "You'll be safe here; they can't get in here."

"You _sure?_" She looked around, testing the wards and sighed. They were damn strong and fortified. No demon was getting in here. "Fine, your wards are good but…I don't want to be burden. I also have a clothing issue; more of a _belongings_ issue really. I have _nothing_ now." She cried, "I'm homeless and belongingless, _great_! Crap, what day is it?"

"Friday. Why?" Bobby asked curious.

"I have to check in with Dad, twice a week or he sends the _really _powerful ones and assumes I'm hurt or something." She sighed and looked at Bobby. "Can you do this with me? He may want to speak with you. To make sure I'll be okay? He can be overprotective and you are Hunters… I don't want to start a war here."

They all looked at her like she was insane but Bobby nodded and followed her into the kitchen. "I need an iron bowl, these ingredients," She handed him a list and he had Ralph go get them, the boys helped, "And some fresh blood, just a little will work. But _not_ Ralph's or Sam's! _Pure_ human, just a little?"

"I'll do it." Bobby said and handed her the bowl, cutting his arm and letting some drip into the bowl until she handed him the towel. She spoke the spell over it and waited.

Swirling it with her fingertip, she spoke, "Dad? It's me, Lila."

The blood bubbled and they vaguely heard a voice which got clearer each time it bubbled, in soft hisses. "I'm fine, they burned my house!" She cried and rolled her eyes as it bubbled again. "No, I'm not coming home. You are wrong about Ralph. Please _stop_ this thing!" she begged and it bubbled again.

"No, you're wrong, he doesn't want your throne. " She looked at them and then at the blood, "Dad, I was just checking in and letting you know I'll be at Bobby Singer's house from now on, so you won't worry." The blood bubbled and flipped out of the bowl a little. She wiped it off in annoyance and cringed as the voice spoke for real from the bowl now and bubbled furiously. "Winchesters!" It hissed.

"Yes, they live here, too. Dad, that isn't important. I am not coming back and now I'm homeless! You can blame your kidnapping crew for me staying here; I was fine where I was!" She sighed, "Daddy, I love you! Please listen?"

"Okay, Listening." The voice said and they heard his concern, "Love you, princess. Come home!"

"Call off the Hit first." She said and there was silence.

"No, he will take my throne if I don't." The voice said,

"No, I won't! I don't want your throne. I just want to hunt and be happy here." Ralph argued.

"You will…_someday_." The voice said.

"No, I won't! I don't want to go to Hell!" Ralph said.

"You…" There was a pause and a mumbled, '_Was I wrong? Is he not…maybe, it __**would**__ make her happy if I…'_ Then the blood bubbled harder again and it spoke louder again, "Prove it." The voice said.

"How?" Ralph said. It was worth a shot.

"I give you three Earth years. I will cease my attacks and you will not challenge me for my throne. However, the others that want you to rule will not give up on turning you to their will for you. You will be challenged, human, and if you give in, I will hunt down those you love and kill them painfully in front of you and then make you my _favorite_ torture toy! _Understand?_" The voice said hatefully.

"Fine, I'll do it. Just call off the Hit!" Ralph said.

"Lila? Come home…" The voice said and she sighed.

"He needs protected from them. I can't leave!" She said and the others argued but she shut them up quick. "I am immortal, none of you are! You really want to test their patience on turning him? You do realize when they figure out you aren't going to do it, they will kill you, _right_?" She sighed, "They will be pissed when they don't get their way."

"Yeah, there is _that_." Ralph worried, "You can stay, I suppose."

The blood bubbled again, "You dare to refuse my daughter!" It said hissing.

"No, I…I'm _sorry_. Didn't mean it that way. I hate being wanted by Hell, trust me." Ralph said, "She's a fine girl I'm not refusing her anything, I swear!" He reassured the demon.' Let's not piss off the Ruler of Hell that just withdrew his Hit on your life; that would be _bad!_ ' Ralph thought quickly.

"Mr. Singer, I wish to speak with you then, and _only_ you. _Privately_." The voice said and everyone left but Bobby. Soon he came out and groaned.

"Well, how'd conference go?" Sam asked and Bobby wiped his finger off, eyeing the blood under a nail.

"She stays here for the three years or however long she stays up here, reports in twice a week and so do I, and we all are responsible for her and keeping _him_ good. Either one fails, he kills us." Bobby plopped down in the chair and moaned, "How do I get myself into this shit!"

"Cause you have a good heart?" Sam said and sighed, "We can do it, protect her and save him. We'd have done it anyway."

"Yeah, but now there's a death sentence over your heads if it fails." Bobby said and caught their look and nodded.

"There's always a death sentence over our heads, we're Hunters. You know that. This isn't exactly a new experience." Dean said and they all sighed, "We're so _lucky_ that way."

"_Aren't _we though?" Sam said and saw Ralph and Lila standing there, holding controllers.

"We playing now?" Ralph asked and they nodded, "I said she could play, too. Is that okay?" He looked at them now pleadingly. She did look more cheered up now so…

They motioned them over and got started. Sam died first and shrugged, he had figured he might. He nudged Ralph and smiled, "Kick his ass for me, Ralph. _Avenge_ me!" Dean rolled his eyes and smirked.

"You got it, Sam!" Ralph grinned, "I'm gunning for you, Dean."

"Come and get me!" Dean said and laughed.

"Hey, I'm gonna waste both of you!" Lila joined in and Dean growled as she shot at him and barely missed.

"Hey! That was close!" Dean howled. "Gonna get you for that."

Now they got into it and got loud.

Bobby went to the study and called Nancy, to see if she any clothes for Lila to wear, she was about her size. She said she'd bring them by later. Mike came in and asked, "What's up?" He asked and Bobby explained. "So Ralph has to stay good and she has to stay safe or her father kills us?"

"Uh Huh." Bobby said and smiled. Mike just shrugged.

"We'll do it either way." Mike said and they did research now, and enjoyed the sounds of the kids playing their video game. And swore to do their best to not only keep demons from Ralph and Lila, but also to not piss off the overprotective father and Ruler of Hell as well.

They didn't need that level of trouble.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	14. Unexpected Visit, Unexpected Results

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or the characters thereof. Stephen King owns Ralph and Michael Anderson. I own the rest.

**Warning: Wincest! There will be Wincest from this chapter on, but as demons, the ones in this story change. Sam/Dean but as Demon/Mates. The Angel version are doing Wincest but they leave at end of chapter. I have labeled who is who clearly so it shouldn't be too confusing, promise! Language, graphic imagery. Some hinted Wincest since the Angelic Winchesters are from 'Our Father the Angel' and they are lovers but it stays tame, I promise. Dean loses his temper, surprise, surprise, so yeah, there will be some violence and bad language involved. Mostly schmoopy and family stuff so don't panic!**

**Plot: **Sam has found Ralph and is eager to see him. Surely having two Sam's around won't be that confusing, will it? Hee hee. Oh, there are also two Dean's….yep, it's a Winchester sandwich fantasy come true!

Will the human Winchesters get along with their Angelic selves or is this a really that bad of an idea? Probaby, but the what the hell, let's do it anyway!

The visitor's from another world have arrived and Angelic Sam and Dean are getting to know Ralph and the human ones from his world, as well as others they find very familiar, too. Angelic Sam finds what he learns about Ralph troubling and they have fun like they planned to, along with adding some fluffy little pups to their numbers, and they pay a visit to the world they came from as well, one where the boys are dogs. A fact that they are fascinated by. But glad to see them. And learn something troubling about a threat to their 'doggy' selves that the others are trying to prevent.

Things get complicated but they are sure to find that love will always see them through it. Like it always has; Brotherly or otherwise.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam watched Ralph run fast down the field, a little too fast in Sam's very Hunterly opinion, and his brow crinkled with concern. Then he watched the boy catch the ball with ease, leaping for it and landing smoothly; way _too _easy a landing and way _too_ smoothly. What was going on with him? Sam thought and sent out Angel vibes to check him out, sensing human but not _fully _human; some demon powers. No, not _some_…a hell of a _lot_ of them. Most were dormant but some, a few not so dangerous ones, were _very_ active. Telepathy, super-strength and agility. A coldness inside him but he had a warm heart as well. The coldness seemed to be wrapped around the dormant demon powers, keeping them contained and keeping them from burning up his humanity in the process. The coldness gave the powers no toehold, nothing to feed from. His humanity would have been gone by now if he hadn't found that coldness and used it this way. _Good,_ Sam thought and smiled. Linoge must have messed up his DNA. Demon may have been removed but some demon powers were still locked in his cells, _damn _it!

Sam watched Ralph approach and smiled, waving happily. Kid was still a good kid; demonic or not. He was still Ralph, his little brother. Sam had dealt with being part demon before and, hell, Ralph wasn't demonic; not _really_. He just had demon powers. Ralph would be fine; he was sure the other Winchesters here were taking good care of him and this Bobby, too. For now, Sam just hoped the kid wanted him there.

Sam smiled as he felt a feeling in his head; mental fingers stroking the surface of his mind. And let it happen. He sent a happy thought back to Ralph now. "You said I could visit, Ralphie. Remember?"

Ralph broke into a run and headed right toward him. Sam put up his hand in a weak hello and looked uncertain; thinking that maybe this wasn't such a great idea. Ralph ran into Sam's arms now and cried happy tears.

"You came to visit!" Ralph said, "You're my other brother, Sam! I was so _worried_ about you. I pray for you every day!" Ralph hugged him and then they saw Bobby approaching with a light haired girl. Oh. Sam thought. That must be this world's Bobby. He looked just like the other ones. Sam smiled and moved closer to Ralph again, ignoring the visions that came to him at his touch again. He'd have to ask him here in a moment; this Bobby looked _really_ surprised to see him, too.

"How'd you get here? Where's Dean?" Bobby asks confused.

"It's the other Sam, Bobby. The one I told you about; the one I fought with to close the gate?" Ralph said and Bobby grinned at Sam now. Then reached out to him and pulled back, realization lighting his eyes, Sam flinched away from those hands imperceptibly and Bobby's eyes looked down to see the gloves on his hands and his shocky reactions. Sam did however bite a lip and put on a stubborn face and hugged Bobby anyway.

"I still love you, Bobby. In _any_ world." Sam said softly by his ear. Shaking as he got visions but hugged him harder anyway. Bobby hesitated and Sam hugged him closer. "Just visions, I'll be okay. I refuse to be a freak who can't even hug the people he loves!"

"Good for you, Sam." Bobby smiled and hugged him tighter as well. Touched by the strength in the man in his arms. The love he held inside him that was stronger than his own fear, much like every other Winchester that Bobby had ever known. Love overwhelmed all of it. Family was more important and they'd die for them.

But right now, Sam would suffer visions rather than let Bobby think he didn't love him or let his touch issues hinder him in showing he cared for him. Bobby was so proud of the man!

"I love you, too." Bobby grumbled and they parted now, looking at each other now, with shimmering eyes. "How are you, Sam?"

"Okay, well, okay, not so okay but…it's my normal so I've learned to deal with it. You will, too, if you still want to spend time with me?" Sam looked worried now.

"I do, Sam. Oh, this is Lila. Lila, this is an Archangel version of Sam Winchester. From another world." He said and she shook his hand and chuckled. Sam sensed demon, full demon but also full human, too. Strange. Visions flooded him as they shook hands and his eyes went wide in fear.

She read his thoughts and shrugged. Damn Archangel with touch psychic abilities, _damn_ it!

"Yes, I'm the ruler of Hell's daughter and a demon, sort of…human mother and demon Dad. Not my fault! I am good though and am helping keep Ralph out of Hell and from becoming its next Ruler and demonic, so _don't_ judge me! You were once demonic too! I sensed it so don't lie!" She said offended and she saw him blushing and struggling to find the words to say. She relaxed and let her temper go. He hadn't meant to offend her, so she hesitantly smiled. "I'm a friend, I really am. I live at Bobby's now. You really think he'd let me stay if I was Evil, _honestly?_"

"No, I just saw the past, present and future all at once and it confused me. So many images to concentrate on. It's hard when they flood me so rapidly. I wasn't judging you. I was trying to hold back the visions. I'm sorry if I confused you there. I was lost in it for a minute." Sam explained and she flushed guiltily. Such a _pretty_ girl, Sam thought. Too bad she and Ralph couldn't be together and wouldn't be if the visions were right. She was perfect for him, though.

"That happen often?" Bobby asked worried. It looked like it had hurt him to get them that way for a second there...

"Sometimes. Not usually so rapidly though. It must be the demon in her that did it. My visions get wonky when I touch demons. I get visions still but they are so…eclectic and harder to follow than with other people's." Sam admitted and turned to Ralph as he recalled the visions he gotten when he'd hugged the boy; even through the gloves.

"Why are demons trying to kill you, Ralph?" Sam asked with narrowed eyes. "Yes, I get touch visions and saw you getting attacked in them. _Why?"_

"Can we explain in the car?" Bobby asked hoping to hold off this conversation until they were somewhere less public. Sam didn't look like he'd like the answer when they gave him it. He looked downright pissed right now, to be honest.

"Sure, but you _will _explain." Sam said and stared Ralph down until he looked away nodding. "Oh, I almost forgot. The Dean of our world and Archangel John, our Dad there, are at your house now. They dropped me here so I could see Ralph first; he's why we're even here. Well, why me and Dean are. John is here to spend time with other us's _and_ Ralph." Sam chuckled, "They probably are wondering where we are now. We really should get going."

"Fine, but when we get there, you have to explain the touch visions, too." Ralph said back.

"I will." Sam said and hugged him anyway, cringing at the visions but loving having him close anyway.

"Wait, Dean? _Your_ Dean?" Bobby said in surprise and Sam nodded.

"Yes, and things are a lot different for us now and...we'll explain at the house; all of it. I _promise!_" Sam said anxiously, covering his wedding ring but Bobby saw it and got a strange feeling he knew what one of the '_changes'_ were. But said nothing since he knew they would explain later. Those boys must be confused by the other Dean, though…He chuckled as he recalled John's last visit and knew they'd want to see Sam, too. Ralph had filled them in on it all after he had gotten back. They had been worried about him, too.

The drive there was fairly uneventful, if you discounted the looks they kept shooting Sam that rotated between curious and dread. He had a lot to say and they were sure it would be a doozy, too! Not to mention those visions he'd gotten from touching Ralph. Bobby would willingly give his favorite body part to know what they were and he was sure he could talk him into telling him, too. Of course, he'd be sure that the others weren't around to overhear them doing it though. No need to worry them unnecessarily.

Then he got the surprise of his life when they got to the house and Angelic Sam ran out of the car…

And straight into Angelic Dean's arm then proceeded to kiss him _hard_, and in a most _not_ brotherly way!

Xxxxxxxx

"I was worried you'd gotten hurt, Sammy. What was so important it took two hours to get here?" Dean said and ignored the others shocked looks. He still touched his face tenderly, "You doing okay, baby?"

"Better now that you're here." Sam said softly. "My head hurts. Too many visions at one time but…I'll be okay. You got the migraine meds on you?" He asked and Angelic Dean nodded, pulling the bottle out and slipping him a couple. "You all got some food or something? Missouri said he has to take them with food." His green eyes swept the room in annoyance. "Yes, we're lovers and married and, oh, we fuck like Bunnies, too! But he is the man I love and you don't have to like it…he loves Ralph and wanted to see him again! You can go fuck yourselves if you _don't_ damn well like it!" He held Sam close and saw human Bobby approaching with a sandwich and milk for Sam.

"We're just surprised, son. Don't get squirrelly on us." Human Bobby reassured him and motioned to the couch where Dean led Sam as Sam got dizzy and moaned in pain. "He going to be okay?"

"He gets too overloaded by the visions when he gets too many at one time." Dean said softly, brushing hair from his lover's face. "Here, Sammy, _please_ eat this. So you can take the pills? Souri insisted you had to…" He urged worried. "He has to take them with food or he'll get sick from them…so please save the outrage for a minute." He turned to Sam again and tore the food into smaller bites, urging a piece into Sam's mouth. Sam chewed it and swallowed. Then took the sandwich and slowly ate it himself, and drank the milk quickly with pills and then gave Dean a questioningly look; a needy look. Dean nodded and pulled him into his side so Sam's head rested against his chest as he held him now. "We'll explain everything. Dad, you want to start?" His eyes went to their Angelic father who nodded.

"Sam there wanted to see Ralph again. And so did we. I wanted to see you boys again, too. I promised I would so…" John began softly.

"Start with what happened to him first." This world's Dean growled in worry and they all nodded. He had a right to know. "We know about the rapes but what the _hell!_ Ralph said he was doing _better!_ And where did the touch vision shit come from? We could really care less about the whole fucking each other thing!" Dean's eyes shot to Angelic Sam with a worried look. "He looks so…_broken_…"

"Let's just say that Ruby's little recall spell sent him for loop and set his recovery back a year or two. He was stuck being and feeling raped all over again by both the bitches for hours. So yeah, he's not going to be one hundred percent for a while. You have to understand that the recall spell made him experience the rapes all over again and repeatedly. He and _we_ are doing our best here." Angelic Dean growled back. "Bitch hurt him with that damn spell so calm down and he will. He needs calm here and peace, and you aren't helping by overreacting!"

"Some bitch hurt Sam! No, _three_ bitches hurt him. So _excuse_ me if I am _pissed_ over it." Human Dean growled. "You should have protected him better!"

"He's grown man, Dean. And he was fine! There isn't anything I could have done to stop a damn _spell!_ Fuck, I hate myself for him getting hurt in the first place but this is _not_ my fault! A demon witch did a spell that fucked up all our heads and, by the way, you aren't perfect either! How'd that _deal _go for you? As well as it did for _me?_ Was Hell _fun!_ You left him _alone_ and dumped him directly into Ruby's very demon-bloody hands for _months_, so who _else_ hurt who, _huh!_ How about that detox idea? Was it fun watching him bounce along walls! I went through that and it fucking hurt him, too. That means you did, too! So you need to shut the fuck up and calm down before I _make _you!" Angelic Dean growled as his eyes glowed with fury. "You have _no_ right to judge me!"

"_Make_ me? I'd love to see you _try!_" Human Dean shouted and was thrown full force into a wall and it knocked the breath out of him as human Sam cushioned his fall for him with his own body. "That the best you can _do_, Angel boy?!" Human Dean said angrily, getting up and taunting him.

Angelic Dean got ready to hit him again, _really_ hard this time when they heard a soft voice say, "You two need to stop this _now_. You're _both_ being dicks at this moment." Then turned to see Ralph entering the room. "Yes, Sam was hurt by a spell but what he really _doesn't _need is you two fighting over who was the _worst _brother to him or a _version_ of him; so calm down and let's get this conversation over with, _shall_ we?" Ralph said coldly and even they flinched at the _coolness_ there.

They sometimes forgot how strong that kid _really_ was. How cold he could be now…

"Cause if you upset him any further, I promise to pound you _both_ bloody and _won't _hesitate to do it." Ralph threatened and they backed off, sensing the demonic power in him flaring and nodded.

"Sorry." Human Dean said and went to sit on the other side of Angelic Sam now.

"Me, too." Angelic Dean said from his seat by Angelic Sam, he'd never once moved from his spot, and they shook on it over Sam's torso now; coming to an truce finally. Sam smiled as he moved from Angelic Dean's arms now; head not spinning or hurting anymore; finally feeling normal again.

"I'm fine, just _don't_…touch me for a while. Need to find some sub-space right now." Sam said softly and they nodded. "Yes, the spell…it made it feel like it was happening again and I'm still dealing with the damn shit all over _again_ but I'm getting better every day. So can we _drop_ the subject and _move_ on?" His eyes swept over both brothers and they nodded. "Dad said we'd get powers of our own and this is mine. Apparently it tied itself to my touch phobia and created a touch psychic power in me. He does barriers and protects us so it evens out. He also shoots beams from his hands as an offensive power so please don't provoke him anymore. We just wanted to see Ralph again. We missed him." Sam explained and Ralph approached now.

"Sorry you got visions from me…" Ralph said guiltily. Sam ruffled a hand through his hair and ignored the visions; they were the same ones from before so they were easily pushed aside.

"That's okay. I get visions from mostly everything I touch. Not from Dad, Bobby, or Dean though; Dante and Dorian seem to be the immune to me, too. So, yeah, it's not your fault, Ralphie. Come sit by me." Sam said and took his hand, tugging Ralph to his lap to hug him close again, "I love you, bro."

"Me, too." Angelic Dean said grinning happily at the kid. "We're almost all Angelic now, nearly full actually. Powerful Archangels like Dad and Bobby, stronger and more powerful than Michael and them combined really." Angelic Dean said proudly. Then explained what was going on and about the dogs being in danger. Their mission there and everything that had happened so far.

"So Michael is trying to use you Angels for vessels now, is he _stupid?!"_ Human Sam said and looked at them in disbelief and annoyance. "And they are trying to kill the doggy versions of us and you are protecting us with the others from them?"

"Yep, that's it in a nutshell." Angelic Sam said. "He's tried the _'approach them in their sleep like Lucifer'_ thing already. Tried it with Adam, too. We told him to fuck off and he looked very angry but we didn't really care. There isn't anything he can do to hurt us and that's okay. We just have to protect the seals and keep them from breaking, keep the cage locked, keep the dogs and their families alive, and save the _damn_ world from _arrogant_ Angels _again_!" Angelic Sam chuckled however. "Cas is helping us again so we'll have lots of help. There's like twenty hunters and dozens of Hellhounds to help us, too."

"Why are some Angels dicks and others like you guys so…good?" Human Bobby had to ask.

"Well, they were never human and so they don't have the memory of that to temper their thoughts or actions, but we _wer_e and so we try to be better. They are handicapped that way. Taught one way of doing it, the righteous '_kill any unholy thing or whatever doesn't fit in with what we were taught to hate and destroy_' way. We see a _better _way, and they…well, they can't or _won't._" John explained and sipped his beer, offering another to Angelic Dean.

Angelic Dean shook his head and looked at his Sam, who gave him a serious look then. "I quit a week ago. Sam asked me to. Thanks anyway, Dad. I'd kill for a soda though." He smiled now and shrugged. "I have a drinking problem and Sam said, as an Angel, It's time I dealt with it. My hubby makes a lot of sense sometimes and he was right. So now its soda and stuff. Got any?" He went to see if he could get one. Pride shown on their faces. Human Sam looked at Human Dean pointedly and Dean nodded.

"I suppose you want me to quit, too, eh, Sammy?" Human Dean asked with dread.

"Yes, I do." Human Sam said sternly. "You drink too much."

"Fine, I'll quit. Right now." Human Dean groaned. "Thanks, Angel Sam. See what you started? Self-righteousness is _contagious_ apparently." He gave an annoyed but fond look at his brother now. "I do have a problem; you _happy?"_

"Very. As soon as you pour out that beer in your hand." Human Sam said eyeing the bottle. Human Dean joined his Angelic self in the kitchen and soon pouring liquid was heard then running water. A pop top sounded and they headed back in with some soda in their hands now, sitting by their own Sam's again.

Angelic Sam kissed his Dean's cheek and said softly. "I'm proud of you, baby. You're doing so good with this." He took his other hand and entwined his with it. "Thanks for listening to me and not getting pissed off about it."

"I'm slowly learning that I have a very wise brother/lover. I should listen to him more." Angelic Dean said smiling and his Sam returned it, nodding.

"You're pretty wise sometimes, too. If not a little _too _hot tempered sometimes, like _earlier._" Angelic Sam said and heard his tummy rumbling "Still hungry. Supper soon?" His hazel eyes took in the smell of the roast cooking and sighed happily. "I eat meat now, so roast sounds good. Dean corrupted me; knew he would someday." Angelic Sam laughed now as Angelic Dean shot him a sexy look with an upraised eyebrow and he blushed, smiling wider. "_Corruptor!" _Angelic Sam said softly but lovingly.

"Yes, but it wasn't that hard to do, you _sexy _thing. You were pretty willing to let me." Angelic Dean teased and saw Sam cheering up. Happy it was working, sexual innuendo and all; the bickering was making his Sammy happy and that was all that mattered to him. "I'll have to corrupt you again later, too. Hopefully in a shared shower, baby, and on the floor, then the bed…everywhere I can…" He hinted and moaned softly as Sam kissed him hard then stopped as they both flushed and got hard.

"You so are going to." Angelic Sam teased and saw their shocked expressions. "We'll get a room, don't worry. We know the rules, Bobby. No sex in your house. We'll abide by it." He gave human Bobby a fond look now. "We love you in every world; you're like a Dad to us."

"No! How long are you staying with us this time?" Human Bobby panicked. It was just sex and, sure, there was that rule…but he didn't want them to leave yet! They'd just got here. "Just put up barriers and block the sounds and I'll be okay with it. And don't let the kids see you doing it." Bobby shot a look to Ralph and Lila who just rolled their eyes at him.

"Like we couldn't pick up their sex lives from their thoughts when we read them earlier. They came complete with images, you know." Ralph drawled and they laughed, and the Angelic men in question blushed and pulled apart now. "Get close again, Dean. Sam needs it and I don't care if you cuddle; your sex life is no secret to me now so forget it and be yourselves."

Dean shot Lila a look and she let him know with a look she agreed with Ralph. So Angelic Dean pulled a relieved Sam to his side again and let him sink into his embrace again. "We have two days then we have to go back. So…could we take you to Coney Island like they did before; just us three, please? We want to go with you, too. Get to spend time with you…" Dean shrugged here. "It sounded like you had a lot of fun with them there and we figured we could, too. With you, we mean." He rushed to explain and Ralph nodded. "We'll just pop there, spend the day then pop back…" Angelic Dean suggested.

"I'd take you boys with me while they spend time with him…" John said eyes hopeful, "I've never been there and Lila can come with me if she would like to; with _us?_" He hinted and they nodded as well. Both human men happy to spend time with him.

And with that, the conversations were over and they went to eat supper; chatting with the teens about their days at school and with the human boys about what they had been up to lately.

Then helped with research and watched a movie with them, and played a video game with Ralph and Lila; the Angelic ones got first dibs and the human ones waited their turns. Of course their Angelic selves were just as bad at the video games as the humans ones were and Ralph ended up killing them all in the end. Then the Angelic Sam and Dean headed out for a bit and came back in a couple hours later. Grinning like fools and their faces shining with satisfaction and had a sated quality to them.

No one said a word as they all headed to bed now and they all slept. Then the Angelic ones napped and got up a few hours later and joined John on watch duty.

"He's in trouble." John said worried. "I don't need Sam's visions to see that much." He said and sighed. "Ralph still has every demon power he had before they cleansed him. He isn't safe and they won't leave him alone; and the demons? They are _persistent_ bastards!" He growled.

"They will help him be good." Sam said softly. "I saw it in the visions. They were with him fighting in them. He was still him. The coldness and stuff can't be helped. The coldness is tempered by his warmth, humanity and love for them. Even with full powers, he'll be a good man." He shrugged. "It was in a future vision but he was older in it, their age. They looked the same though…that was the strange part. Bobby, too." He looked thoughtful then. "I can only think of one thing that would let them be that way; that they were Immortal somehow. Not sure how though…"

"We can't know that, son. Not for us deal to with; that is their destiny not ours." John soothed his confusion and sighed. "I miss Bobby." He looked down now. "Not used to being without him now; feels like a piece of me is missing for some reason." He played with his wedding ring now, thinking of his Bobby, _not _this one in this world; wondering if he was thinking about and missing him, too.

"We go back soon, Dad." Angelic Dean soothed John and nodded. "I'm sure he misses you, too."

"Me, too." John said and watched the stars overhead. "They look the same as our stars and constellations but…reversed." He noticed and mentioned.

"I noticed." Angelic Sam said then leaned in between them yawning. They laid him across them, his head on Dean's thigh, nose against his hip and then soft sleep sounds came from him. "Goodnight, guys." He said before he was out for good.

"Goodnight, Sammy." They both said and Dean wrapped an arm around his body as best he could and held him closer. Sam purred in his sleep and Dean leaned down and kissed his brow. "Love you, Sam." He whispered softly and got a contented sigh for his trouble.

Not words but 'I love you, too' was just what that one little sigh told him. Then they waited out the sunset and discussed their plans for Coney Island the next morning. Each getting even more excited about it the more they talked about it.

It was going to be a sunny day! They thought and smiled now. The perfect day to visit the place; it was Saturday after all and they had all weekend with their little extended family.

Something they were exceedingly grateful to have now.

They sure had missed that boy and those boys as well. At least John had.

The Angelic men only had thoughts for Ralph.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The popping part was easy. It was the large crowd there that proved difficult but five pairs of gloves later and an excess amount of personal space, Sam was okay. As long as no one touched him, that is.

The group split as soon as they got there, then Bobby and the others headed out together, and the Angelic Sam and Dean left with Ralph. They each headed different ways. Sam and them headed to the rides while John and his group headed to the games and concert areas. They agreed to meet up in three hours at a food stand for lunch.

"Hey, Dean, can we do some games?" Sam asked, holding up some cash. "I want to win something for Ralph and you."

"Sure, babe. This way. We'll do the dart's first. I see some things I like in that booth." Dean said eyeing the key chains. Especially one with a car on it that resembled the Impala. "I want that one!"

"Three darts please?" Sam said smiling and looked funny for a minute as a vision hit him, then began to throw, hitting all three balloons accurately, not one dart bouncing off at all. The man offered him a pink bracelet or some tiny cat looking thing. So Sam paid for six more and got them, too. And eventually had to choose between a Harley motorcycle toy and the keychain that Dean wanted.

Which meant Dean finally got his keychain, and kissed Sam to thank him for it. "Ralph, you like anything?" Sam asked curiously, eager to please him.

"Yeah, that big black teddy bear." Ralph said and pointed to it. "How much?" He asked the man who looked confused. "Look, we both know you could milk us for hours to get the thing, one tiny prize at a damn time. So, let's cut to the chase and tell me how much just to buy the damn thing, okay?" Ralph said and the man nodded, holding a finger up and talking to another man he motioned for to come over.

"Thirty dollars." The older man said. "I'm the owner, Son. And that's the price."

"I'll take it." Ralph said and handed him a twenty and a ten. "One not torn please, that one has a tear in the foot." He pointed to the little white spot that he'd spotted.

"Sure." The man said and sent the worker to get a new one for him out of the stock trailer. A minute later, he was handed a brand new one and grinned like a fool. Hauling it over his shoulder, they moved on.

Then they played some more, mostly little crap stuff. Dean won Sam a clown doll which he passed to Ralph and shot Dean an annoyed look. Dean just laughed and pulled them to the target game, there were several large and small stuffed animals. Sam saw a set of lions there, parents and a cub, a complete set of plushies that were velcroed together. "How do I win that?" Sam asked quietly, eyes full of want for the set.

Dean and Ralph noticed this and swore to get it for him right then, no matter how many tries it took!

"Twenty targets, dead on center." The Man said gazing at it, smirking. "No one's ever won it, you want to try?"

"No, I do." Ralph said.

"I can do it…" Sam protested.

"No, my gift to you to take back to your place." Ralph said. "Let me do this, okay?" He pleaded.

"Okay, Ralphie." Sam said giving in.

Ralph handed him a twenty. "Keep replacing the targets for me until that is gone."

The man nodded and Ralph pulled the rifle up and sighted, seeing it was crooked then adjusted it, giving the man a harsh look while he did so. '_No cheating me, asshole!'_ He thought. No wonder no one had won it, the sights were off. Clearly they didn't want them aligned.

But now they were.

Ralph shredded the inside of target, dead on center. "Another." Ralph demanded.

Soon he'd shredded 18 of them but missed the last one, the man smiled and Ralph glared.

Another twenty and a couple ones were pressed on the counter now. "My turn." Dean said. And smiled. "Change the targets."

The man watched as Dean blasted out the center of one. Changed it. Then kept count, doing the same each time. He was sweating by the time Dean's green glittering eyes sighted on the 19th target and hadn't lost one yet. The target was fastened in place and Dean shot it out now. "One more." He grinned at Sam now. "Then it's yours, Sammy."

"Thank you." Sam said and Dean sighted on the last one.

His pellets shredded the middle of it and he pointed to the plushie. "Give that to my husband." He said proudly. And the man got it down, handing it to Sam with a grimace. He hadn't meant to let anyone win it; it was the lure to bring in the customers. He'd fixed the sight so they'd miss. But they'd spotted it and now he had to find another toy everyone would want.

The tall man held it close, admiring it, then was hugged by the younger kid who looked at it, too. The other man watched them and then the tall man kissed him deeply. The carnie watched this and sighed. Oh, well, at least he'd made the guy happy.

He was very good-looking though…his lover, too. The man thought to himself. And very much in love, if he wasn't mistaken.

Sam dragged Dean to a booth that had moving targets to hit with a ball now. "Dean, anything you like?" He asked. Dean needed a stuffed animal, too. Sam resolved and waited.

"I got what I want." Dean said smiling up at him.

Sam blushed and nudged him awkwardly. "I meant a stuffed animal."

"Don't need one." Dean insisted.

"Yes, you do. We got one, now you get one. Pick something." Sam insisted. "I'm winning this for you myself, on my own, damn it!" He smiled now. "Can't be any different than throwing a knife, honestly."

Dean scanned the walls, looking for something since Sam insisted. He didn't want to hurt his feelings, and Sam was so damn cute when he was stubborn and earnest like this. He couldn't resist his lover when he got like this! So he looked for one he might like. He spotted a big black Panther one in the back, a large one. "That one. The black panther." Dean said pointing.

"How much to win that one?" Sam asked and the man thought about it, seeing the longing in his eyes, instantly melting for the gorgeous customer before him. That and it would be good publicity.

"Twenty targets or twenty dollars." The man said and eyed him with interest. "Or a kiss, I'll take that."

"Sorry, I'm taken." Sam said and smiled apologetically. "But thank you for the offer. You are very handsome, too."

"No problem." The man said and shrugged. "Good men are hard to find. It's true, most are taken or married. Or straight." He laughed then nodded. "Make it ten targets and he can come help me get the damn thing down. My back is bad and I'm not a young man anymore, unlike you. Such a handsome man you are, too; both of you are. So no kiss at least? I won't try anything." He whispered to them softly so no one else could hear. "There are no gay men on this show…what a shame, too. I'm just an old man here and not a man to be seen…I can't get even one?" He asked sadly and they caved.

Smiling, they looked to make sure no one was looking. "You out here or in the closet?" Dean asked reaching for the man.

"I'm out." The man said and leaned into his hands. Dean touched his face softly.

"Such a nice man, you shouldn't be alone." Dean sighed sadly for the man, sensing his loneliness and was thankful for having a good man like Sam in his life to love. This man had no one…or not at the moment he didn't... Thinking of a spell he remembered, one that brought love to the man or woman given the blessing from it. He thought the spell and called his Angelic power to it, then kissed the man softly, breathing the spell's blessing into him as their tongues touched while also chanting it inside his mind. He let Sam read his thoughts and then Sam kissed the man softly and kindly as well, breathing in the blessing and chanting it in his mind as well. Both kissing his cheeks afterward at the same time and pushed the spell more into him now. The man's eyes took a moment to focus after that; past the happiness he felt from their fond attention to him. "We will play for the toy. We only did that to make you happy. You are good man. Don't sell yourself short, age doesn't mean you can't find a lover. It just means that the ones that don't want you for your age are idiots to not to see what a great catch you are. Have pity on them for that and don't give up. I didn't and look how lucky I was. I got Sam." Dean said and the man's eyes misted up as he nodded. Touched by the gesture.

Then Sam began to throw, he had twenty balls to throw and only had to hit ten of them, or all twenty of them…he thought now. The man had only made a concession because he was desperate and lonely, and attracted to him. So he went ahead and went to all twenty, no needing the allowance he had been offered.

Picturing the balls as knives, he hit every little chick for the most points and soon had all twenty he needed. "Dean, help him with the toy, please?" Sam asked. He'd remembered the man had a bad back and thought they could fix that for him, too. Dean caught his thought and nodded approval of it.

And, as the man loaned his shoulder for Dean to climb up to get it, Dean used the opportunity to press healing into the man, making his back and body as good as new inside then let go to unhook the toy from the wire and then jumping down easily. Then he hugged the man and Sam smiled as he hugged it tight. "You like it, Dean?" He asked and Dean nodded grinning.

Then they walked off and the older man smiled wider. Glad he'd met them after all.

Soon after that, a dark haired man came up, around thirty. Smiling at him in a way that no one had in years. He was closing up the booth to go eat but the man saw that and smiled any way. "You closing up? I'd really hoped to play." The man's accent was thick. Hungarian, the older game worker thought. Very sexy, though. He did have a thing for accents. More of a sexual fetish, he chuckled. But said nothing, not wanting to chase the handsome Hungarian away yet. He liked looking at him at the moment.

"Yes, sorry, but only for lunch. I'll be open later." The man said and was caught off guard by the next words he said.

"In that case, let me buy your lunch for you." The Hungarian said smiling, taking his hand and tugging him along. "I know a great Hungarian place off the boardwalk. It just opened." He didn't let the carnie get a word in edgewise to protest either before shoving him into his Mercedes and shutting the door behind him.

"You're rich or something?" The man said and blushed in embarrassment. Such a stupid thing to say! At least it was better than what he wanted to say. That being, 'Can I keep you?'. Yeah, that would have been bad.

"Yes, I am." The Hungarian said chuckling and pulling him close. "But I like you."

"There's a Hungarian restaurant? I don't remember a Hungarian place here…" The man said and thought back. He'd lived here for years and didn't remember one being anywhere near the boardwalk.

"I just opened it. Come try my food." The Hungarian said and hugged him again. "I will cook for you myself. I am great cook!" The guy boasted proudly.

"Okay, I'll try it. I've never had Hungarian before." The carnie said then saw the man's amused look and he realized how it had sounded. "I didn't…not like…I didn't mean it that way…sorry if it sounded…sorry!" He said all flustered as the dark eyes watched him and the man laughed.

"What a shame…" The Sexy Hungarian said smiling, a sultry expression on his face now. "That was _exactly_ how _I_ meant it." He smiled and added. "I am Voltan Scaric."

"Reggie, Reginald Redding." The carnie had no idea how to respond to that nor did he have any idea how to process the kiss the man laid on his lips at that moment. His hand on Reggie's thigh and edging it up. "Take me…?" The carnie sighed with hope in his voice…and a heady dose of Lust, too.

"I intend to. " The Hungarian said and kissed him again.

And with that, the carnie decided, despite having never tasted it, he now suddenly really _really_ liked Hungarian food. _And_ the cook that made it for him.

Meanwhile, back at the carnival, the three men let Dean pop the prizes back to Bobby's then waited for him return to ride rides with them. After lunch, of course. Going to meet the others at the food booth now, they were starving anyway!

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

(John's time with Lila and the human Winchesters while the Angelic ones were with Ralph)

John eyed the rides, scanning them all with his power to be sure they were in good repair. His eyes glowed and they were forced to wait to ride them. So they settled for watching him with annoyance. "Can we ride them now, _Daddy_?" Human Dean said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the man's overprotectiveness.

"I thought we were doing games first…" Human Sam said and John shrugged.

"I haven't rode a ride in years. So…I thought it would okay if I changed the plans a little. You don't mind, do you?" John asked. "I suppose we _could_ do some games first."

"No, rides are fine. Once you _let_ us ride one, that is." Sam drawled and John chuckled, nodding.

"Just being careful. They're fine, in good repair. What do you want to ride first, guys? Lila?" John asked holding up the roll of tickets he held.

"Well, the coaster would be good for me." Dean said, looking forward to riding the Mammoth, or whatever it was called.

"I'll go with you then, we all will." John said and tugged Lila behind them. "It's safe, Devil girl. I checked."

"It's not that." Lila mumbled fighting his pull, and not succeeding. He was stronger than her and, with a big happy smile, she soon found herself in line for the coaster with them. "I'm afraid of heights." She looked down in embarrassment.

"Good thing we're riding a coaster then, we'll help you get rid of that phobia." John said and nodded. She glared at John now but let them pull her onto it. Sam sat with Dean and she sat with John. She shook and clenched her eyes shut as it ascended. John hugged her tight and kissed her cheek to soothe her, brushing a hand through her hair like he used to do with Dean when he was afraid. "I got you, girl. Nothing can hurt you with me here. You're perfectly safe."

"Don't let go, okay?" She whispered and kept her eyes shut.

"Open them, see what's going on." John urged and she did it, eyes worried as the ride took her higher then dropped her lower, but John's hold on her never faltered. She found herself relaxing as the ride moved through some loops now, John's presence soothing her like magic. His Angelic Aura filling her with calm now. She found herself enjoying it more now. Even shouting happily as it swooped downward and whooping with the boys as it took another loop faster.

Then it ended and they headed to the other rides, and she took his hand. John smiled down at the girl and bumped her with his arm. "Feeling better, Lila?" He asked gently. Hazel eyes making sure she was.

"I'm better, thank you for the…assist." She said.

"Anytime." John said smiling and looking toward his sons. "Take the Mixer next, okay? I want to ride between you two. It used to be fun to ride that one…as I dimly recall."

They took that next, then the Sled-Slide and the Blender, which was a bit like a spider thing with three seats on each branch of it. Then they spun faster and faster until they got dizzy and each leg spun at the same time together. Then they went to play a couple games.

Dean won a dolphin plushie, which he smiled and gave to Sam, who had eyed it with longing as soon as he'd seen it. Sam won a mirror with an Impala on it that said 'Burning Up The Road' on it by shooting dart at some _really_ badly blown up balloons and popping three of them. Their tags matching which let him pick his own mirror. Then a poster of some blonde woman in a string bikini and another of a white tiger in black velvet and white, with blue eyes with two cubs on each side of it cuddling. A larger white tiger sat over them watching over them protectively.

He thought of keeping the Tiger poster but changed his mind at John's look at it. He liked it. So Sam gave the girl poster and the mirror to Dean and the poster to John. Getting a hug from both for them.

Then John won the same Tiger poster for Sam and gave him one. And won a white tiger plushie, a medium sized one, by knocking down some bottles with a soft ball. And gave Sam that, too. A game offered some key chains and John won Dean a keychain with an Impala on it, then Dean gave him a knowing look and they both laughed.

Yeah, they were both in love with that car! John thought as Dean added it to his keys right then. Loving the prize already.

John and Lila played against the boys on the water gun game and the human men won a kitten stuffed animal, which they gave to Lila and she hugged it happily.

"Time to go meet the others, guys." John said and they all nodded. They were hungry, too.

And headed to the food stand where his Angelic sons waited for them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'll take those back for you." Angelic Dean offered and John handed over their prizes so he could do it. They had arrived there moments before and were waiting to join the long line to order their lunch.

"Thanks." John said and Dean vanished momentarily then reappeared with empty arms.

"We have guests coming." Dean said smirking and motioned to behind the food place. Two people came out from the shadows behind the food stand now and were hugged by the human Winchesters while the Angelic ones waited to see how they were met by them. Nervously, the Angelic men exchanged looks with John who shrugged. Ralph ran to hug the new arrivals as well, they noticed curiously. Did they know what he was now? They wondered. They seemed to accept him and were protective of him, too…they seemed to love him very much.

Both were dark haired but one had blood red eyes with brown mixed in, and the other had dark eyes that were almost black. Both were tall and toned and wore leather. The woman had long hair to the middle of her back with red streaks in it and was a cross between slender and muscular. She smiled at them in welcome and approached now, a natural sultriness to her every movement. The man had tousled black hair to his nape and full lips and long lashes, a muscular but toned body, long and lean and sexy as hell. His shirt showed a sculpted chest, just a hint of it. His tan showed off his white teeth, perfect against a natural tan that most surfers would be jealous of. His eyes danced with amusement at the sight of the Angels now.

"Bobby said you were visiting, John. Ralph told us all about the Devil's Gate thing you did. So…we wanted to meet you." Dante said and looked at the boys. "I sense your Angelicness, don't worry, I can tell you apart." He laughed and smiled. "Still my cousins, in any world. Give me a hug, Cuz's." He said then hugged them, patting their backs. Pulling away, he added. "Congrats on the weddings, guys, all of you."

"Thanks." Angelic Sam said and Angelic Dean nodded in agreement with Sam.

John just beamed happily.

Angelic Sam looked at Dorian now and she grinned. "Yeah, I sense it, too. You aren't human like them. Anyway… you didn't get anything from us, right, Sam?" She asked worried, Bobby had told them to try to not give him too many visions, and explained what was going on with him. Bitches messed him up and she wanted to kill them for him! "I'm sorry they hurt you, Sam. Don't give up on the touching, okay? Bitches aren't worth it."

Sam shrugged. "I'm not giving up." He said softly. "I'm dealing with it."

"You need to talk while you're here, you come to us; we'll listen, too." She promised hugging him tight. "We love you, Sam. Even Angelic and not from here, you're still our cousin and we're here for you."

"Thank you." Sam said and hugged Dean to him.

"So, can we join this little outing? I could use the company and I haven't been here in years." Dorian said and they smiled, pulling the two to join them in eating. Ralph and Lila went to get them the food while the others chatted. The line snaked out onto the Midway and they realized that they were going to be here a while.

"So what's going on there? Bobby mentioned something about the boys being dogs or something?" Dante asked in disbelief.

"It's true." John said then explained the whole thing to them. By the time he was done, the kids were almost to the counter to order and the two cousins looked pissed. "We're guarding them and helping stop it but Sam just wanted to visit Ralph and I wanted to see them so we came here while there was a lull."

"So there are puppies there? And you all are actually dogs that the Angels and Demons are trying to kill?" Dorian asked and they nodded. "Michael, I take it?"

"Oh, yeah, it's Michael, who _else_? But right now it's mostly demons. Some rogue Angels, too. Not sure yet, but Michael's already trying for us as vessels so he's pretty desperate at the moment. We suspect he might do something stupid. Well, stupider than _usual_. Zack's pulling shit, too. So… a storm's coming but we got it." Dean said and sighed. "Can't believe even as dogs they have to go after us. Aren't we just the most lucky things!" He groaned. The food was on the table now and they started to eat, talking still.

"Got a plan or winging it?" Dorian asked curiously.

"Well, Dad's the general of it all, he's the boss. Big surprise there, huh! God's telling him what to do and Cas is helping with Gabe coming to help soon. We're switching shifts on the guarding but Dad says if we stop the seals from breaking, we should be able to short circuit the whole thing." Dean said then took a bite of his sausage and moaning at how great it was. "Haven't had carnival food in years. Fuck, it's good!" He said, and they laughed at him.

"So whose on our side there?" Dante said. "Seems like a hell of a lot of enemies to face, how many we got on our side?" He asked and they nodded.

"Well, there's you two, or the versions of you guys from that world. There's Jo, Ellen, Ash, human Bobby. There's my husband, the Angelic Bobby, and Rufus and Victor, he's a hunter there, retired from the FBI. Dante's the Lord of the Hellhounds in that world, too; so we got hundreds of them there to help, too." John said and they smiled, but still thought that wasn't enough.

"Why not enlist help? You all had friends, other hunters. They could lend a hand." Dorian suggested. The other hunters would be glad to help if they explained it to them, if they excluded some stuff of course.

Namely Dante and Dorian's true natures but they would accept the boys as dogs. The Angelic ones would be a surprise but most wouldn't let that stop them from helping though. It was their world, too. The Angels read his thoughts and nodded.

"Angelic Bobby's putting out feelers with the human Bobby's help. We got about fifty willing to meet them and us so far to come up with a plan to help. They got the whole story on us and still offered so…that's good. Better than we expected really." John admitted. "He said they were going to drum up more or most of them to help while we were gone if they could. We _could_ use more help there. The more demon fighters we got, the better we can stop the seals there from breaking. They can fight them just as well as us."

"True." Dante agreed. The more hunters they recruited, the better their odds were, was his thinking.

Then they discussed school with the kids and hunts with the others and soon they were ready to go.

Dorian went with Sam and them while Dante opted to go with John and the others. Then said they'd meet in three hours to pop home behind the bathrooms there.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Dorian and the boys were riding rides when she saw him. Voltan. '_What is he doing here?'_ She wondered in surprise.

"Dorian, you okay?" Sam asked and she smiled.

"Just saw my cousin by the games there." She said curiously. "Last I heard he was in Europe opening a restaurant chain there."

"We can check it out after this ride ends, Cuz. I mean Dorian." Sam reassured her and smiled as he fell into their old pattern of addressing their cousins without thinking. "I can call you Cuz, right? Even if I'm not your cousin here?" Sam asked now, afraid he'd offended her but she shook her head at his expression. Reading his worry there.

"It's okay, I'm your 'Cuz' so go ahead, Sam." She said and she saw it stopping now. They got off now and headed to where she had seen him. "Come meet him, he's a good man."

"Okay." Dean said and let her lead him on. The others trailing behind as well. He smiled as they approached the man kissing the Carnie they'd blessed before against the side of his booth and they coughed politely to let them know they were there. Dorian looked surprised but saw their recognition of the Carnie in their looks and gave them a suspicious look.

"Did you…" She began as she did her best to figure out how they could have done this.

"We did a blessing, that's all. A love blessing! It just drew true love to him. It didn't make anyone do anything. We didn't think it would work so fast!" Dean protested in whispers, trying to keep the others from hearing it.

"Did you add Angel power to it?" Dorian asked with dread.

"Yes, we wanted it to be strong. He deserved love and we just thought he'd find someone this way like he needed. We didn't make anyone love anyone!" Dean protested again.

"Dean, you are Archangels, your powers are cosmic! You boosted the thing into the stratosphere. Fuck!" She swore then smiled. "On the other hand, that being the case…He had to be open to loving him for it to affect him so much. I guess it's no stretch that he must have fallen in love first then approached him. I don't think you made him do anything, Dean." She reassured him. "Voltan's been alone for years since his last partner was killed in a car crash. It's good he's found love now. Uncle will be happy for him." she added.

"We could talk to him." Dean said and they agreed with her so they coughed again. The couple broke off kissing now and the Carnie smiled at them.

"Hi, guys. Um, this is my…um, we just met a while ago. He made me Hungarian food at his restaurant and we…yeah, we had sex and now…I love him." The man said and nodded. "I'm Reggie by the way. Reggie Redding. Van, these are the guys I mentioned before." He motioned to them.

"You were kind to him. Thank you." Van said now. But held him close. They noticed his booth was closed for the day, and smiled. "I love him, too." He laughed at Dorian's look and shrugged. "I've been watching him for days, loved him from a distance for a while now. Just now worked up the courage to approach him today. He's so…perfect." Van said happily and kissed Reggie's cheek now. "He's moving in with me. I'm going to pamper the hell out of him!" He teased the blushing man. Who nodded and Van grinned wider now, if that was possible. "Then marry him. After properly corrupting and debauching him some more first. He's still too good for me. I'll bring you down to my level, lover…" He teased then laughed as the man flushed at his words. "Well, down to my level again…and again…and again." He kissed him again and left him panting for him.

"I sure hope so." Reggie smiled and gave him a heated look.

Van pulled the man away from the booth and went to leave now. "I'll call you later, Dorian. I got a hot man to take care of right now. Then to take shopping. He needs some things…" The man said and they left then, both horny as hell again. Dorian smiled and waved bye then headed to play the games again. Dorian wanted to play some games for herself now.

(Dante and the other play games now, too.)

Dante shot out the targets for an hour and got a black lab plushie and decided to keep it. He did give the pink bunny to John who slipped it to the boys and saw them stare at it in dread. Both laughed at them as they went to give it to Lila who flat out refused to touch it.

They saw kid go by, a girl of no more than five and ran to give it to her. Her face lit up and they were happy she liked it. They sure hadn't.

John took the gun now and took out every target, too, earning him a red octopus thing which he gave to a little boy that reminded him of Sam as a kid who loved it. Another plushie found a home, he thought amused.

Xxxxxxxxx

When the time to go came, they gathered in a group and John sent them back.

Of course, his landing made them fall on and trip over a rug making them all fall on top of Dante who grunted in pain and they quickly got off of him as he hugged his crotch, clearly in pain now.

"You okay?" John said awkwardly and Dante glared at him impotently.

"Yeah, good thing I don't plan on having kids or I'd be very disappointed later on in life." Dante complained, massaging his crotch and wincing. "Dicks _and_ wood floors and your _landings_ do _not_ mix!"

"Sorry, I can send people but the landings always mess up, I'm working on it. Look at the bright side, the last 'you' I teleported, I made him land on his tail bone and dropped all of others on top of him. He got hurt much more than you did." John teased.

"One, dick hurts worse than a tail bone. Two, you _did_ make them fall on me so it's not that much different." Dante complained but then sighed as his healing easily fixed him up now. It didn't hurt now. "You have a focus issue."

"I can focus to send one there but without being there to actually control them, my landings are bumpy. I can't see where they are landing exactly so I have less control over that part. I can't control the landings properly without actually being there." John admitted.

"So…it's less a focus issue and more a control issue then." Dante said and shrugged. "Those are harder to fix. Maybe visualize it more, it could help?" '_It couldn't hurt.'_ Dante thought wryly and groaned. His phone was ringing. He looked and then said. "I have to take this, sorry, Uncle John."

"No problem." John said and went to talk to Bobby.

"Get Dorian, would you? I might need backup here." Dante requested a couple minutes later then got serious again and listened.

"No, Garth, you don't…damn it! No!" Dante listened then growled. "I don't care if they were _all_ taken. You _don't_ go in alone." Dante ordered then nodded. "I'm coming with backup, _don't_ make a move! Go find a dumpster or something and hide in it or behind it. I'm on my way now." He listened then added. "No, I'm not mad! But it's a trap. You get backup before you spring those." He advised then saw Dorian approaching. "Garth and the guys got taken by some vamps an hour ago. Well, not Garth. He was getting them coffee but he saw them taken and called me right away. He followed them and now he wants to go in alone to get them out. I told him to wait for us." Dante said. "Help me?"

"You got it, Cuz. I got your back." Dorian agreed getting their duffels. "Sorry, we can't stay, Bobby, but we got a hunt. It was nice seeing you guys. Be careful in that world. Angels, ones _not_ like you guys I mean, can get fucking _sneaky_!" She advised then hugged them bye and Dante did the same.

"You hang in there, Sam. Touch visions aren't so bad. You save people with them, right?" Dante said and Sam nodded. "Well, there you go. Use them that way. Think of them as a gift. I got fire so mine's just as shitty.

Then they both ran out and got ready to go, roaring out of the yard to Montana in hopes of saving the hunters and their friends. John watched them go with pride in his eyes. Good people those two, he thought. Good fighters.

Then headed inside to hang out until tomorrow.

They would go home tomorrow morning and they wanted more time with the others until then.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Okay, here goes." John said and let the power flow out. A hole appeared now, full of light then it faded to show images. He tried to focus on control now, rather than just focusing his power, like Dante had advised him to. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone here.

The others gazed into the hole and saw the others staring back at them. Angelic Bobby and human Bobby were by the hole chanting now with their Dorian and Dante on the other side doing the same, doing their best to keep it open.

"I'm seeing double!" Human Dean said in shock, eyes locked on Angelic Bobby and human Bobby there.

"Me, too!" Human Sam said.

"You need any help?" Human Dean offered, worried for them now. Ready to help if they were needed.

"No, we got it. Two sets of you are plenty! Anymore show up and I will issue fucking name tags. I mean it. And I will have where you came from on them, too! Don't push it. Seriously, we got close to a hundred hunters on the way here and over a dozen Uber powered ones in the house, and them, we'll be okay. Don't worry, Dean. Although…I wouldn't mind meeting you…if you don't mind a short visit. If it won't hurt anything. Will it, John?" The human Bobby there asked with hopeful eyes on the Winchesters. He really wouldn't mind them visiting… Even if the urge to go out and buy nametags did manage to rise up again…

Then he gasped in surprise as they all grinned and nodded when John shrugged, then the Human Winchesters jumped through. Landing on their butts but catching themselves enough to roll out of the way so that Bobby and Ralph, with Michael could come, too. Michael had opted to come to keep an eye on Ralph. His son wasn't going through any portal with him, fuck that! Lila opted to stay behind, her Demon Lord father would sense her leaving the world there and freak out. Visiting another world wasn't worth a war. She thought and sighed, wishing she could have gone. "Get me a puppy!" She shouted at the last minute and they nodded, taking a cloth with her scent, to see if one would claim her…she really hoped one would, a hellhound one would be nice.

Soon as they were through, they shut the power off and the portal closed behind them. Bobby eyed the burned mark on his ceiling with dread, praying it left when they returned or he'd be pissed! But right now he had to deal with two Winchesters hugging him tight and smiled as he hugged them back. "Hi, boys. It's nice to meet you, too."

"Bobby!" Dean said and smiled, then they hugged the Angelic Bobby and the man smiled as well. "You look alike, damn, this _is_ going to get confusing…" He said then shrugged, he'd figure it out. "How long we got, John?" He eyed the two sets of dogs approaching with curious eyes and the other hunters coming to see them as well. He heard yelps outside the door and smiled. The pups were out there…he really wanted to meet them!

"A couple hours. The fold is still in place, this won't affect anything." John said feeling out the magic and nodding. "I can hold it still, don't worry."

Ralph cried out happily as a pup seemed to pass through the door itself and launched itself right into his arms. He peeked under it and saw it was a girl to be sure before addressing it. "Hey, girl! You mine?" He asked and was licked continuously for a minute, chuckling as her hazel eyes locked on his and she seemed to nod. "This is what they do when they claim a hunter, right?" He asked and that human Bobby nodded, stunned.

"Usually they pee on your shoe and catch it on fire…but yeah, that one's claimed you." Bobby admitted, not too surprised. The kid was a natural with dogs apparently. That pup had been hovering by the front door for nearly an hour and now he knew why. She must have sensed Ralph was coming somehow. "She's yours. Three quarter Hellhound but part human and dog, too. She has a human soul in there along with some dog in there, too. All the powers of a hellhound though, so raise her right. Hunter dogs are not pets. They were meant to hunt. Especially these ones." Bobby said then spent the next few moment explaining what huntlings were. Then finished with. "They are human hunters in dog bodies, they inherited all their parent's hunter knowledge upon birth. You just have to train with them and become a team with them. They are their kids, Sam or Dean's, their real kids. Even you human ones, you are their parents." Bobby petted her behind a furry ear fondly now and she gazed adoringly at him through half-shut eyes. "She's your daughter, Sam."

"Oh…" Human Sam said holding her now, too. "My daughter, my real daughter…Dean, I have a kid!" He teared up and hugged the pup gently now. "A family…we have families here."

"My niece." Human Dean said with wet eyes. "She's so pretty."

He felt a buzzing in his head and Bobby saw the look, heading to the kitchen, tugging their human Bobby with him. "You need to learn to brew the potion anyway…come help me with this." He grumbled then told them. "Hold on, there's a potion you take to understand their thoughts and sounds, boys. We'll have it in a minute."

The humans petted their pup and even Mike took a turn loving on her. "You got a name for her, son?" Michael said and Ralph nodded.

"Yeah, but I should ask her about it first." Ralph said uncertainly. She may not like the name…

"Good idea." Michael said and they sat with the others now to talk while they did it.

"Who are you?" Dante asked with curious eyes. They all did, Ralph noticed.

The Angelic Bobby nodded to them, silently letting them know to tell them everything. So they did.

"I'm Ralph Anderson, that's my Dad, Michael Anderson. We're hunters. Sam and Dean helped us on a case and kind of adopted me as their little brother…we're really close and we're brothers now." Ralph said.

"No, I meant you feel funny on my radar, Ralph." Dante said and Ralph stiffened, worried now. "It's okay, just be honest." The others nodded their approval of the idea and he nodded, the human Winchesters taking his hands and sitting on each side of him to show their support.

"We're here for you. It's okay. No matter what they think, we'll keep loving you. We promise. We won't let them hurt you, bro." Dean said and shot them a look. "You hurt him and we will try to kill you for it."

"We won't…" Rufus asked then got a bad feeling about this. "Tell us please? We won't hurt you…you're just a kid…"

"I'm much more than that…sadly it's true. I'm part…no, I used to be demonic. I can explain…" Ralph said then kept going. "It started when I was a kid and demon came to our island…" He started then kept going and ended with, "So Dad did the ritual with our Bobby and cleansed me of the demonic DNA but there were still powers locked in my cells. I feel colder inside but it keeps the powers at bay and keeps me human. I still feel human but I'm just colder in nature than most people usually are. I do have a few powers but mostly harmless ones. The rest of them stay locked up so we're keeping it that way. Demons won't leave us alone though. I'm going to school and me and Lila keep having to fight them off a lot between classes. And to and from football practice, and anywhere they can get me alone really…It's the only 'normal' I get apparently." Ralph said then added. "I'm a good hunter! Linoge did this to me, I didn't ask for it!"

"We're not saying anything." Ellen said gently. "I can't believe…the townspeople…they just let him…take him?" She looked horrified by the thought.

"Yes, Molly…she didn't get it until the last minute but I always saw it…Ralph was the only kid he even paid any attention to and touched. I knew it would be my son and tried to stop it. They wouldn't listen to me and then he said Ralph was his and I…fought but the crowd held me down while he flew off with my boy in his arms!" Michael said crying at the memory, hating them for it again…a deep hatred he knew he would never get past. "They said I'd get past it! Get past the fucker stealing my son and his Mom…she agreed to its bargain! I never forgave them for it. And when I found him again, he was demonic. So…I called Bobby and he saved him, gave me my son back." He looked at Ralph who looked furious now.

"I hate them!" Ralph said then sighed, petting the pup as it licked him, as if sensing his pain. He kissed her head and calmed down a bit. "We're never going back there again."

And he meant every word.

"What happened to Molly?" Rufus asked and he saw their eyes get hard. They hated her more the townsfolk, he saw. And didn't blame them in the least. She had practically given the boy to the demon of her own free will and that was the most horrific part of it.

"Heart gave out a few years ago. We divorced after…" Michael got quiet now. "After losing him. Fell out of touch…I hated her for so long after that, still do. Couldn't forgive her for trading our son to save her and the town's sorry damn lives; my son!" He growled and hugged the boy again. "Not losing you again."

"Never again, Dad." Ralph reassured him. "I went back to visit her grave but…I can't forgive her either. If she loved me, how could she let the bastard manipulate her to do such a thing to me? He fed me his damn blood! I was a demon! I didn't even know my Dad until they cleansed me. I fucking hate them all!" He swore vehemently then calmed with visible effort. "So…that's the story… gonna hunt me now?"

"Of course not, boy! You aren't evil, just tainted like Sam was. We understand that." Rufus said and Ralph relaxed more now, he was glad to see.

"Is there a 'you' here in this world?" Angelic Sam asked as a thought struck him.

"I assume so, but I'll probably be full demon by now, Sam. I'll be evil here and with Linoge." Ralph said then had a thought, addressing the Angelic Winchesters now. "I'm in your World, too! You can save me there, it's early enough in the timeline! I'll be like before but the ritual would work still, it's not too late for me there…you guys could save me with the ritual, like Bobby did in mine, right? Save me, make me human again? It's possible, right?" He asked with sad eyes.

"Yes! Dean, we can save him there…if his Bobby could do it, so could ours…it's possible!" Angelic Sam said, getting excited. "We'd adopt him like we did him in his world. Take care of him in our own. We'd have a brother!" He said smiling. "Still love you in that world, too, always will! Never doubt that. Angelic or not, we'll visit you more now."

"Good, I'd like that." Ralph said and asked the Bobbys standing in the doorway. "You can do the cleansing ritual, right?"

"Yeah, there's a cleansing ritual in my library there. Need a virgin's blood though…a drop or two would do…got the rest though." Angelic Bobby said thinking. "We could find someone…"

"Could work." John agreed then thought of the person. "Know a guy, he's got a teenage kid. She knows he hunts…she might volunteer some. Last time I met her I sensed her purity. It's an Angel thing, we sense virginity, don't ask." He waved off their amused looks. "Hey, we just sense it, we don't deflower them! Geez, a little trust might be nice!"

"A little too much information there, Angel man!" Ellen teased the blushing man. "You sense goodness and Virginity is goodness, so it makes sense you'd sense it." She shrugged. "Wonder if Cas can, too. Do you Angelic guys all do it?"

"Yes." Sam said then sighed as Dean nodded, too. "Don't care about it when we do, it's just a thing we sense."

"I can sense it." Cas said coming in. "Virginity, purity of body, as well as soul and mind. We sense all purity since purity is goodness." He said this calmly and gasped as the human Winchesters hugged him right then. "Good to see you, too. Or this version of 'you'. You feel fine; it feels good to see you again. You make my heart happy." Cas said hugging them back and smiling gently as they kissed his cheeks as they let go.

"We don't see you much there. Once the Apocalypse was averted, you never came back to us. Guess that Heaven needed you more. We miss you!" Dean agreed and pulled the Angel to sit by them. Dante and Dorian took watch for them now. "They said Gabe is coming?"

"Yes, he isn't dead here." Cas agreed then shrugged. "He isn't dead there either, I sense that much. He is reformed and in Heaven at their point in time there. He'll be joining them again soon enough, or that is what Father told me before. He was going to tell John, too, so I'm not breaking any rules by saying it now. There, Lucifer killed him but the god part became active. God just restored a degree of his Angelicness. Enough so he's mostly god but a little Archangelic. Here he's still just an Archangel with Trickster powers, in hiding from his Brother's Apocalypse, but loyal to me and Father. He will help when it's time for him to, don't worry. It's not time for him to join us yet. That may change later though, but not right now. He'll become a god in their world, too, eventually. Once Lucifer killed him, he was changed. Father is trying to balance the powers for him so that's why he's probably in Heaven there. You just haven't seen him again yet. I'm there, too. In Heaven of course, it's the dual nature of the Worlds. I will visit you again, Father promised me that other me would join you in some battles with Gabe at our sides at times, we will fight with you sometimes. I will come to you soon enough, my friends. What is true in one, tends to be the truth in the others, too, even to a varying degree. Like the Winchesters. Here they are dogs, there they are Archangels, and, in your world, you are human. It goes for Bobby, Dante, Dorian, and all of you. Some live longer lives, some shorter, some are Eternal, but all are in every World. It promotes harmony between all the Worlds." He just smiled at their shocked looks, their eyes locked on him at his words. "If I'm here in this World, standing before you, then there are other me's in the other Worlds, doing the same thing at some point of time, too. Varying or not, most Angels are Eternal, it's our nature. The same would apply to Gabriel, of course."

"But not me?" John said approaching.

"No, you are the anomaly. The rare exception. Your life force is too powerful to exist in more than one instance. It could only balance if there was _one_ of you. And that '_you'_ would be Immortal and Eternal, since only one of you can continue to exist and not destroy the timelines or Creation itself. So while you live and die in every world…he was only allowed to bring you back to be alive again in one of them. That one." Cas explained matter-of-factly. "Your soul, its power and essence? It was created different than any other soul's was. You are more yourself than any other soul ever could be. More self-contained and all powerful, one might say. So you will jump through time for Eternity, taking care of your other sons. It's part of your destiny, his plan for you. They need a father. All of them do, and that is you, John. It is part of your purpose for which he brought you back. The others cannot be brought back but you could, so he did. And now you are every version of your sons' Protector in all the Worlds they may exist. Relax, you're doing fine with that job, by the way. He said so."

"Good to know." John said, reeling from that revelation there still. One soul so powerful it could only exist in one person, one Archangel, Him? He'd never considered himself that way before. So weak and such a failure as a father really…in so many ways. Why did he get chosen for this, over all the others more deserving?

"They needed you, John. Sam and Dean did and still do, in every World. To achieve their destinies, so…you were chosen." Cas finished. "Winchesters are the World's Protectors, it's Defenders. And only a Winchester himself can guide them…which made you the only logical choice. It is an honor to be given this destiny, John. It really is."

"Well, on that note, I'd like to change my name to Singer." Dean teased and Sam laughed, nodding.

"No way! Don't bring that bad luck down on me!" Bobby teased back and they laughed together.

"But we love you, why not share it?" Sam teased and all the Bobbys laughed, nodding, too.

It was true.

"You got him now, share it with John! Leave me out of it. Don't curse my family line, too, nuh uh!" This world's Bobby protested but laughed again, not meaning it. He'd never considered them cursed, just more…_interesting_ than most families.

They got up and hugged him tight, the dogs curling up at his feet and whuffing at him at the same time, laughing in their own doggy ways, too. "Too late, we just cursed you. You're stuck with our luck now, too." Human Sam said as he hugged him, too. Then whispered. "But you got all of our love for you, too. And you have our hearts, we're your sons no matter what form we have. You were always our Dad, Bobby, we'll always love you." He kissed his cheek and sighed. Bobby melted at his words, seeing his point. So he got bad luck, he'd always had that at some point. But he'd not had kids or love like theirs for him. He was willing to have that more, bad luck or not. They were his kids, and he loved them. A bit of bad luck and a curse was worth the price to have them in his life. The others nodded as they read his thoughts and he saw they felt the same way, too.

To have Sam and Dean in their lives was well worth the trouble they brought with them. And the baggage that followed them. The demons and bad shit gunning for them. It was all worth it! To be there for them when they needed him, Bobby would be there and be damned if it nearly got him killed for his trouble, for his love for them, too. Loving those boys, his sons in every way but blood, and willing to fight for and with them if it was called for. Just the way a father should!

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The room went quiet after that as a tall youth came in. He seemed both enthralled and confused by the other versions of his brothers and Bobby, and not to mention John standing there, looking equally shell-shocked.

"What the hell?" Adam said confused. "Dean? Sam?!" He said puzzled." Bobby said you coming back to visit, and I've missed you and all, but do you realize you are dead in this world?" He asked but still approached him to hug him. "Still love you, Dad. No matter what form you have."

"So I keep hearing…" John said sarcastically, eying the ceiling, cursing Heaven for that part but grateful he got to live. "Contrary to my choice, it appears I am so unique that there can only be one of me in Existence and that is in their world, but I'm a Father to all my kids in every world, and that includes you…" John said then had to hug the boy. "I missed you so much, hated to leave you, son. I just thought if I stayed away the demons would leave you alone."

"Nah, they came after us and the boys saved us, and let me help. We did fine until Cancer took Mom, and we fell in debt, with the medical stuff, and then she died…I was grieving so I looked them up here, and I've been here ever since. It's my home now, and it's my 'normal'. I get the hunting stuff but also I am going to college, for Criminal Justice." He said proudly. "Was going to go to please them but once I got in, I found the idea of law enforcement more interesting…so I can work here in town with Jodi. She's grooming me for it on breaks. I get to observe them at work in the Station, do ride-alongs, and she said once I graduate, she'll recommend me for a job there, as a detective…I didn't like the police cars that much but using my hunting skills to find criminals sounds good. I can save people doing it the legal way and hunt in my free time for Bobby; it's what I want to do now."

"That's great and you will do so great at that, I can tell. Not that big a difference in what law enforcement does and us Hunters do really, ask Vic, he ought to know." John said and Adam saw Vic nod, making them both smile. "So not going for a federal job?"

"No, a detective is fine, closer to home would be good so I can stay here with Bobby. Help out with the Hunting when he needs me, which is a lot really, mostly research…he says I can't hunt until you take me on my first one, Dad. He insists that's the tradition...so will you? Take me on my first hunt sometime soon, on a break of course…?" Adam asked with pleading eyes. "I'm all trained, honest! And I have my own Huntlings…well, pups, but they can come observe."

"Sure, son, I'll do that next break you get from classes, I promise." John said and saw Ralph approaching with Michael.

"Does that mean I'm not your son either? I'm their half-brother, kind of…adopted? You can hunt with me, too? Be a Dad to me, like mine is and Bobby does, right?" Ralph looked heartbroken and John looked at Michael and saw him smile sadly down at his son, patting his shoulder supportively.

"You are their half-brother, which makes you my son by association, and also a part of my mission with them, so yes, I will hunt with you, and visit you, and be a Dad to you like Michael and Bobby are to you. You don't mind, right, Michael? I won't interfere with your parenting nor will I try to make him love you less, or try to take your place, I just…he's a part of my family now." John responded and Michael nodded in approval. "I can only do brief visits though."

"I know, they told me. I can live with that, I really can." Ralph agreed.

"Adam, same goes for you? Are brief visits okay?" John asked him and Adam eagerly agreed.

"Yes, I'll take what you can give. I want my Dad back, any way I can get you!" Adam said and John smiled widely.

"So, I have four sons now, am I right?" He teased them and they smiled, all nodding happily. "Good, I like that."

They laughed together then the kids wondered off to talk. Adam joining them as Ralph tugged him along with human Winchesters, and the Angelic ones so they could get to know each other.

"Tell me about yourself, Ralph." They heard Adam ask and smiled.

"Only if you tell me about you, they tell you about them. We should get it all out in the open, since we're all going to be great friends now." Ralph said and the others heard the rest of the boys, both human and angel alike agree this was going to happen. Wandering off to talk by the cars now, the Angelic boys taking guard duty to talk and do their shifts now.

Bobby approached the one from this world and asked. "Lila, I can explain her, but she says she'd like a pup and gave me this cloth with her scent on it…she wants to know if we can see if a pup chooses her." He asked, then explained who she was and that she was good and on their side. "She may be his daughter but she's a great girl and not evil at all…can we try? I'd hate disappoint her and not try…if one doesn't choose her, that's okay."

"Fine with me, take the cloth, let them smell it. They'll let you know if they choose her and if they do, well, take the pup to her. They know their Hunters so let them decide, not you." This Bobby said and watched as the Bobby from the other world went to do just that.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Bobby stood in the swirling mass of puppies and sat down to let them smell the cloth. Then waited to see if any liked it. For several minutes, several kept coming to it and sniffing then wandering off only to return to it again. He was beginning to think one wasn't going to choose her when one came up, licked the cloth, and looked at him with a speculative look, nose seeming to point to the cloth with a question in its hazel eyes, the little wolf hound laying on it and smiling. He sighed and heard footsteps approach, and saw the Bobby of this world standing there, smiling down at the happy pup that had clearly claimed that cloth for itself.

"She's chosen the girl, she'll leave with you." He said and helped the man stand up but the other Bobby waved him away from claiming the cloth back as the pup sunk teeth into it possessively with hard eyes meeting his, like the stubborn thing she was. "Leave it, she won't surrender it now." He laughed at her then said. "Yes, girl, that belongs to your hunter." He seemed to listening and conversing with the pup somehow so the other man waited. "No, you can keep it until you go with them…oh, yeah, well, that's a good name. Tell her when you get to her, she's in another world you know, but a few of your brothers and sisters will be going with you so…" He laughed then turned to that Bobby and nodded. "Yes, he looks like me." Then seemed to be considering something. "Let's go in, we need to do something so you all can communicate with the pups and doggy boys better. It'll make more sense to you once you can do that."

And with that, they headed in and left the girl pup to lay on her Hunter's cloth again, eager to meet the girl soon. Swearing in her little doggy heart that she was going to do good for the girl, and knowing she loved her already, even if she hadn't met her yet.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The potion worked well. And the human boys went out to see their families, the doggy ones that is. The others from their World coming as well. Soon all were surrounded by masses of puppies, both Rottie and Wolfhound, all way to adorable to be legal! Kneeling down to love on them in turns and found themselves faced with the women, one Rott female and one Wolfhound one.

The other World's Bobby sat off to the side as if in private discussion with the girl Wolfhound he held, petting her as he responded to her mental questions. He thought all the pups would make great additions to their home there and being special as they were, they would be a great help with the demons, especially the wolf hound ones.

This left the others to get to know the remaining doggy members of the family and all found they liked them very much, Sam and Dean of this world had chosen their Mates well. They were proud of them, and loved the fact that they had kids, even if they weren't really theirs…they were willing claim them and share them, and love and protect them as best they could.

"_Hi, Dean. It's me, Jo."_ The Rott girl said and cocked her head. "_Yes, I'm a dog, and those are my pups with you, as a dog, of course. She's J'k. Sam's Mate, she's a Hellhound."_ She winked at her friend and fellow parent now. _"You got a friend, boys…"_ She hinted and her paw motioned down. They looked to see a pup scraping at their feet. "_Son, be patient! They see you."_ She whuffed and it came out as chuckle in their heads. _"He's a bit like his father, very impatient and impulsive…enjoy!"_

"Jo? So I marry you here…" Dean said in surprise as well.

"_I'll explain."_ Jo said then did so, including Sam's story as well. J'K interrupting and telling her and Sam's Mating as well. It didn't take long.

"_So now we are joint parents to them, most are going away but some are staying, have hunters here and Jodi's stay here for safekeeping."_ J'K said and looked up at human Sam. _"Yes, you are just as handsome as a human as you are dog, I thought you might be." _She said smiling smugly. "_I fell for you as soon as I smelled you. I had to have you the moment I saw your sexy doggy form. I love you here, hellhound or not."_

"So if I hadn't went dog, I'd be a demon?" Human Sam asked and they nodded. "So I stay a dog, I'm good and a hellhound, but if I go back to human, and I lose my humanity and become a demon?" He was stunned. "So that's why they are so happy as dogs."

"No, they are happy as dogs because it suits them, son." John said joining them. "No demons around or Angels, don't worry. Michael may be a dick but he's not stupid. He's regrouping after the whole approaching them as vessels fiasco. I think his pride is hurt and he's a bit repulsed by their relationship now." He laughed at the memory. "He fled so fast when they offered to perform their sex in front of him…it was hilarious!"

"I bet, that guy is…well, self-righteous prick wouldn't be too strong a term really…." Dean growled. "Thank goodness I said no in our World, too."

"Yeah, I got the cage but…it came out alright eventually." Sam said in agreement. "He won't hurt them, will he?" He said eying the pups while holding their's close, worried. "The thought of our kids hurt…tortured to get to us…it sickens me! You sure you don't need us?" He asked anxiously, not able to understand why the Angels would want to hurt them as dogs at all, they were harmless this way! "We could take them, hide them in our World until this Apocalypse dies down, If you needed a safe place to stash them…" He offered, willing to do anything to protect those kids, anything!

"No, they are safe here, we got them well protected and the doggy 'you's. They are just being jerks because the dog thing messed up their vessel plans for you two. And since you were the only choices, you cancelled out their Apocalypse and they had to start it again. So they got revenge on you by making you the last Seal. You die and they win. Idiots!" John growled in anger now. "They're like little kids, trying to get back at another kid by breaking their toys!"

"We agree." Dean said and asked the pup. "You got a name you like?"

The pup seemed to be thinking, looking so human they could see how it was part human. '_Is Impala taken?'_

"No but it's not really the best name for a pup. Wait, I have a better idea…how about 'Pala Pup?" Dean offered and glanced at his Baby. She'd like sharing her name with this cute kid, another kid to grow up in her, even though the pup _was_ more likely to teeth on her upholstery than play with legos in her.

"_I like it!" _The pup said nodding but both turned to see Sam when they heard a groan and smiled to see Sam shaking his head.

"No, that is the most…" Sam caught the pup's sad look and broke under it. "Fitting name, it's fine. But…won't you at least try to reconsider another name?" He begged, not wanting to come out and admit he hated it.

"_You hate it that much, Dad?"_ The pup asked, his voice tinged with worry. If Sam hated the name then he'd try another, even though he loved the name… _"If you do, I suppose I'll consider another."_ The pup was quiet now, his feelings hurt. He _had_ liked the 'Pala pup name more.

"No, I just…he's in love with his car and now he's naming you after her, too. It's his sickness, son." Sam said and nodded at Dean. "Such an incurable sickness, _terminal_ really! I swear if I got kidnapped and she got car-napped, and he could only save one of us, he'd choose _her_! He'd mourn me and swear to avenge my death, of course, but…yeah, he'd choose her."

"Not true, I'd choose her so I had something to rescue you in." Dean teased and Sam laughed at that thought, getting the joke.

"Um, yeah, that isn't as comforting as you'd think it might be…" Sam teased back.

'_Dad, you really wouldn't let Daddy Sam die for a car, would you?'_ The pup asked worried, not getting the joke. Clearly they had to teach their son their brand of humor or the kid would have a nervous breakdown on them at an early age from worry.

"No, son, we're just teasing each other. You'll learn our way of joking later. We do this all the time." Dean admitted and the pup relaxed then.

Then they told the women and pups all about their lives there in their own World.

Xxxxxxxx

"Dad, I am a demon?" Sam asked a few moments later, pulling him to the side, but glared at Dean who butted in to stand beside him. "Dean…" He protested. He'd tried to sneak off to speak to the Angel privately but, per usual, when it came to Dean, there was no such thing as 'privacy' for Sam…it was his overprotective and hovering instinct. And Sam was clearly its object of devotion!

"Is he?" Dean asked fearfully. John looked dismayed but looked like he was also considering his words very carefully.

"Yes and no. You are half, I suppose, but it's in stasis, held there between human and demon, with a bunch of Grace wrapped around it, keeping it locked away, like Ralph's is but yours is sealed away for good; it won't _ever_ get out. I suppose it was your reward for your sacrifice with Lucifer and saving the World the way you did. God locked the demonicness in you away inside you within his own Grace, never to get out. So you are a demon, half really, but, also all human, thanks to the Grace holding it back." John reassured him. "You are a demon of sorts but so good and human, too." John hugged him now. "Still my son, and still a good man. You, too, Dean. Don't judge him, he can't fix it and you should trust him the same as you always have."

"I do trust him and won't do that to him again. I did that with Azazel and hurt him a lot. It's where he gets that inferiority complex from. I was really mean about the demon stuff…I'm sorry, Sam! I won't do it this time, I swear. You are my Sammy and I love you. My brother still, demon or not." Dean promised and hugged him.

"Is my blood…normal?" Sam asked. Contaminated, tainted, all words that danced in his head now.

"It's red, not black, but, yes, its demon blood. But with no other effects but it being what it is. No detox needed." John said. "Ralph's is, too. All demon blood, just red, but still good, like you are, Sam. You should help each other stay that way, too. He adores you boys."

"We will." The boys promised and headed inside to wait to go; it was almost time.

Xxxxxxxx

"We need to name you." Ralph told his pup and the girl nodded.

"_You pick, but not anything lame like fluffy…I might bite you for that one."_ The girl pup said irritably.

"Hmmm, something demony would suit you…" Ralph said thinking out loud.

"_Hurry up, Demon Boy, times a wasting here. I'd like to tell my family my name before I go here." _The girl urged, knowing their time was short here.

"Demona?" Ralph offered, a female demon. It would suit her…

"_Named after a demon and I'm a hellhound, okay, that's original…okay, I like it. It's not lame, I'll give you that."_ The pup said then ran off to talk to her family. "_I'll be back, my Hunter!"_ She barked back and he waved her off, knowing she was saying her goodbyes and promising to visit again, like he wished he could as well. He liked it here with all the pups and the Winchester dogs…sure they'd forget him after a while once he left. But knowing he wouldn't forget them. So he ran in with his digital camera, making sure the card was in it, and asked someone to take his picture with his doggy brothers. Dorian took the camera and did so, getting three good shots of them in different poses together then he ran out and took pictures of all the dogs and pups, two or three of each one. Then took pictures of his Angelic family and the two Bobbies side by side, and some of John and the other hunters for his memory book. Intending to add it once he got back home, showing them to his Dad excitedly and they agreed they were great shots, and that the others might want copies. Michael would arrange them to be printed later for everyone and when John visited, have him bring them back to the others, he'd even do up some memory books with Ralph for each one of them, to make them more special, that kind of thing.

Then Ralph went to John and asked. "You promise to let them and you visit me again, you mean it? You promise?" He was so afraid he wouldn't be able to.

"I promise. We'll visit regularly. I have to visit them anyway, you heard my destiny. I'll let them tag along whenever I do, would you like that?" John offered and hugged him, and Ralph nodded much happier now.

"I'd love that!" Ralph said excitedly then ran off to tell them himself.

"You will visit me!" He told the surprised pair as they sat with the pups and petted them. "John said when he comes to see them, he'll let you come with him, he promised."

"Then we'll visit." Dean said, knowing John would never lie to the boy and meant it if he said it. John was that kind of Archangel. He didn't make promises lightly and always kept them.

And now all of the visitors petted the pups, spent time with dogs, both girl and boy pairs, and then headed inside when John signaled they needed to go now. All really sad to go but knowing they had to. Thinking they might find a way to visit themselves, if they could get the portal spell right, of course. The Bobby of their World whispered he could and not to worry, he'd do it.

Making them all feel much better now. And the fact that they knew this was not the last time they would spend time with them made it easier to leave. Since it wasn't for forever like they had thought it would be.

The Angelic ones got notes from Michael on everything about his and Ralph's ordeal, places, dates, where he saw Ralph that last time, all of it. His contact information and address at that time, all that they could find out. Thinking they'd look for him once they got back to their own World and save him there. Michael said the first step would be to have Bobby contact him and work with him to find Ralph; he hunts for him to get him back after he's taken for years. He will find him by then and then Bobby could help.

And agreed it would work. To save their Ralph, much like these human ones and Bobby had saved theirs.

Xxxxxxxx

Soon enough though, it was time to go, and everyone gathered around the portal mark, waiting for it to open as all three Bobbies and John opened it for them.

"Dean, you should find someone to love. When we get back." Sam said then sighed. "I'll be okay alone."

"Sam, I know you're gay, so why not find you a nice guy?" Dean said then saw Sam shake his head. "Sam?"

"I…I haven't been with anyone in years, and I hate gay bars. They are crowded and grabby! They all think I'm only up for a roll in the hay and I'm not. I have to go alone and I hate going alone." Sam said quietly as they waited for the portal to open.

"I'll go with you, be your wingman. I'll help keep the losers away, find you good one." Dean offered and Sam looked at him in shock.

"Dean. One, there are no good ones to be found in gay bars which is why I hate to go. Two, you'd _hate_ a gay bar, you'd get hit on more than I would and hate it twice as much." Sam said then Dean looked curious.

"Not true, why would I get hit on more? You're one good looking gay guy!" Dean reassured him and Sam blushed.

"Because you are _perfection_ and _sexy_, and I'm just tall and...And too quiet, shy, and can't keep up on the conversation with them. You can talk to anyone and I get all stuttery and blushing when I'm talking to men." Sam said. "I'm not like you, I can't find someone. But you can, and you should."

"Sam, you aren't alone. You got me. You will find someone and so will I. I might try dating again but you should, too." Dean said and hugged him with one arm. "Don't give up."

"I won't find someone, I know that." Sam said sadly. "I still have the demon blood, remember?"

"Yes, but you are human, too, he said so. The demon blood thing is just between us, no one else needs to know." Dean said firmly, glad he had resolved that problem.

"But if I have kids…" Sam said and Dean shot him a look.

"Then they will be part demon, too, oh, well! I will still love them and so will you." Dean said and Sam sighed. "I already told you that doesn't bother me! I could care less about the demon blood shit."

"No man wants a demon for a…husband." Sam said and added the last word after careful consideration. "I see why they mated with each other, they fit so well together. You're straight, not into incest, and it's not in you to love me that way." He sighed then groaned at Dean's look, questioning him. "Yes, I'm not against it and I was attracted to you as a teen, briefly, mind you, _very_ briefly. Probably why I went gay, as the shrink would say, I'm sure. But now, we're brothers but…I won't get what this Sam gets, no happily ever after for me. No great guy to win me stuff and kiss me when I'm hurt like Dean does for him. I want that, like they have! I do. But I won't get that."

"Why not?" Dean demanded, not seeing why he couldn't.

Then saw Sam was crying. And broke for him, trying to help him now to stop it.

"Cause we're soulmates, and, like they said, if it's true in one world, it's true in another! So when I went into that cage, and then got out and found you again, I joined our souls and it made us that way. We are _'It'_ for each other and don't know it or feel it, but it's true…I can't have my happily ever after. Because my happily ever after is with you and we won't get that. You're straight and you'll marry a woman and move away. Be a devoted brother and I'll stay at Bobby's and know that my chance at happiness is the one thing I _don't_ have a chance _at_." Sam said looking away and his tears fells to the carpet. Michael held their pup while Dean embraced Sam as he sobbed. And held onto Dean's jacket tight as he did it, sobbing away in the arms of the one man he was meant for and would never be able to show it to. Never would be with because they wouldn't allow it, being brothers and all. "I will never have you and you are the one I'm meant for."

Then he wiped his eyes and took his puppy son back, petting him and not looking at Dean. "Yes, it hurts and I _will_ get over it, so stop looking at me like _that_. Still your brother, and ….will always love you that way. Always there for you and promise to have your back no matter what. I'd die for you because…I'd die without you, and it's as simple as that." Sam said sadly, and sighed through a veil of tears that blinded him again.

Then jumped into the portal without a word, leaving Dean to follow with a sad, "And I'd die without you, too, Sam." He landed on his feet and ran to find Sam, knowing he was upset still and not blaming him a bit.

Their Bobby held the journal with the guide to raising the pups in it. That Bobby had given him a copy, saying he'd need it, with a dark chuckle, and this Bobby had to wonder why. Resolving to read it soon and see what was up with this pup thing after he got back. Jumping in after hugging the doggy brothers and kissing them goodbye, secretly whispering in their ears that they all promised to visit soon again, and the others jumped with him, and the portal closed, leaving them missing the group already.

Xxxxxxxxx

(Prologue)

Sam was hiding. Dean thought in annoyance. He'd been searching for him for a half hour now and he wasn't anywhere! So he got bright, leaving the pup with the others. And he headed to town, knowing where he might be.

There were three gay bars in town. And he could be at any one of them.

He'd picked a fantastic day to quit drinking, Dean reflected wryly, but still squared his shoulders to go in. And shouldered his way through staring men who eyed him with lust and interest mixed. Ignoring their looks and attempts to get his attention, he moved around and searched for Sam. He wasn't there, Dean found out a few minutes later, saying nothing to anyone as he left.

The others watching him curiously, wondering who that gorgeous stranger had been and who was he looking for so determinedly. Such single-minded focus. That was going to be one lucky man once he found him, they thought, admiring Dean.

The second bar was less crowded but Sam wasn't there either. Dean did manage to avoid the stares and come-ons, only having to tell a couple he was taken, not to offend them. He was taken, sort of. Soul mated but not like…it was so _messed_ up, no wonder Sam was out getting drunk and possibly taking off with the first guy who wanted him, in an attempt to forget his loneliness for a while. To forget he was not going to ever be with his true Mate, Dean himself.

And Dean didn't really blame him at all.

What a sucky thing to find out! It had really shaken Sam's core beliefs up and left him lost again, like he had been when Dean died and Jess died and now…a part of Sam himself was dying, too. The part that had hoped to someday find someone to love and be happy with. To find the one he was meant for. Dean knew Sam had always been the Existential type, bought into the _'we are all meant to be with someone'_ crap and turns out, it was his own brother! Sam was losing it and spiraling, and all Dean wanted to do was find him to make it stop, to fix this for him somehow but even he didn't know how to. He just wanted Sam back, that's _all_ he wanted.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Sam was at the third bar. And _not_ alone.

The guy was built, green eyed, nice lips, and looked a lot like him! Dean thought with a chuckle. Sam was also drunk and not putting up much of fight. Not that he could if the six drinks in front of him were any clue. He was currently being seduced by the guy, whose hand was trailing up his leg to places Dean was sure Sam would _not_ be comfortable with it going when he sobered up! So he rushed over and grabbed the hand.

"I will break that for you if you go any higher up his leg." Dean growled viciously in the man's ear and he pulled the hand off of his brother's leg, leaving Sam to stare at him in drunken and bleary eyed shock, and Dean growled, totally ignoring his brother's weak protests. Then promptly worked the drunken Sam over his shoulder and carried him bodily out, leaving a twenty with the bartender to cover his drinks, and the guy took it laughing.

"Cavemen are so sexy, don't you think?" Quinn, the bartender told Josh, the man that had been hitting on Sam. Their eyes going black when they looked at each other then were normal when they looked around. "Sexy or not, that brother of his is going to be a problem."

"Dean is. We knew that going in." Josh said and sighed. "He guards Sam like a vault and he's our way in to the boy."

"He needs removed." Quinn plotted.

"He's not the only one in the way, lover." Josh said bitterly, so many there! The Singer Guardian, Lila (she was the real threat and they both knew it), then their cousins, who they couldn't win against so they had to plan a way around. Sam was the weakest link but jealously guarded by Dean, and together those two held power, the power to destroy anything that tried to separate them, and that was just what those demons meant to do. "Sam's lonely…"

"You need to get closer to him." Quinn advised.

"Get him alone and then what? Let Dean rush in to save him again? Yeah, that works out well _every_ time! You know he has radar on Sam or GPS, or _something!"_ Josh said angrily.

"Not if we take him where Dean can't find him." Quinn said thinking.

"Oh, where is…wait, can we take him there?" Josh said and thought about it…"Could work."

Then they began to plot. And John heard every word, seething from his corner. He'd been worried about Sam and was protecting him when the demon had come on to him and then Dean had come in. He'd meant to reassure him that it would okay, it would work out. Dean would come around, he was sure of it. Sam would feel that way for him, too, and vice versa… someday. He just had to be patient. Those Winchesters were stubborn! Way too stubborn to see the collision path they were on heading toward each other this way.

Soon they would collide…and be happy like they needed to be. Like they wanted to be.

But, in the meantime, he had some demons to kill and a plot to foil, so he stuck around and listened to them until they parted ways, then popped to Bobby. To let him in on their plan.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean laid Sam in bed, stripping him to his underwear and tucking him in. Sam surprised him by hugging him in his sleep and kissing his lips lightly, "I love you, Dean." He mumbled from deep in a dream; it sounded like that anyway.

Dean pressed fingers gently to his tingling lips, tingling from that little kiss already, as if they knew a secret he didn't. Dismissing it as nonsense! They were brothers, that was all there was to it. But, even he heard the voice inside him begin to wonder what a real kiss would be like with Sam.

"I love you, too, Sam." Dean said softly and shut the door quietly behind him, risking a last look at his sleep tousled brother, drunk and beautiful in the bed. Even drunk he was perfect. "You're wrong, Sam. I'm not Perfection…_you_ are."

And then he was gone. Heading down to see Bobby about the pups and see what the book said about theirs. And didn't let himself think about that kiss Sam had given him just now; doing that would be bad and lead to no good for either of them!

Xxxxxxx

Dean heard them talking and stayed where he was to hear them through the door better.

He caught all they were saying and paled.

Terror clutched his heart as his eyes shot upstairs to Sam where he was passed out in their bedroom, on his own bed. Demons were after him again…and out to kill Dean to get to him…such an original thought _that_ one. He laughed with John inwardly when he voiced Dean's thought.

Xxxxxxxx

"They want Sam and they know if they take him to Hell and hide him there, Dean can't go save him." John said worried.

"He'll sure as hell try." Bobby pointed out. "There's nothing he wouldn't do for Sam, even going to Hell…_again_."

"No, not again." John swore angrily. "What do we do?" He sighed. "I can't be here all the time and there, And Dean going down to get him would be suicide."

"I have an idea." Lila spoke up.

"Okay, I'm listening." John and Bobby agreed.

"Put him under my Protection, make me his Guardian instead of Dean." She suggested. "They won't dare come near him with me in charge of his safety."

Dean didn't need to hear anymore! He burst in and growled, going to her and getting in her face. "_No_! He's _mine_! You _don't_ get him." Then he turned to them and glared. "His is _mine_ to protect, I am his Guardian, no one _else_! You give him to _her_, and I promise that I _will_ take him away with me and you won't _ever_ find him to take him away from me again. You watch over Ralph! He's your charge not Sam! You don't get him, and it's not your job, it's mine! You stay away from Sam or else!" Dean told her, threats lacing every word.

"Dean, son, he's not '_yours'_, remember? You aren't his Mate or lover. You are his brother and human, as you well know. They are after him, you heard the plan." John tried to reason with him but saw it failing. Dean could be very unreasonably irrational where Sam was concerned, and they all knew it.

"Then make me not human! I don't care. But I won't lose him and you _don't_ get him!" Dean told Lila. And stomped out.

"Well, that's one plan not working….told you so!" Bobby said eying the door with amusement. And they talked some more, trying to work something else out.

Then nearly an hour later, they heard Sam shout and they all came running.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Dean held the knife to Sam's throat, right over a vein. It was demon blood, after all. That's what John had said…_right_? He could share it and, if they took Sam, he could follow then. He'd be part demon, too! So he bit a lip and careful cut there by Sam's throat where it met his shoulder. And sealed his mouth to it, then cut deeper to make it bleed more. And bleed it did, in thick pulses and he drank every bit of it hungrily. Determined not to lose him but to share his fate, even as a demon. No one got Sam, no one!

Jealousy clawed at him and he tore at his clothes, unaware he was even doing it. And worked Sam's pants off. Sam was moaning as Dean touched him, stroking him hard, then used spit to lube himself and worked himself painfully onto him. Even when it hurt and bled a little, he still kept going until it didn't hurt and then began to move. His movements went faster soon and Sam was participating, waking up and eying him in shock as his bloody mouth went back to Sam's neck and drank more. Both moving and soon their orgasms tore them apart, leaving them sated with Dean on top of Sam, panting in afterglow as a steadily waking up Sam took in what they had just done. Then Dean began to shake and Sam pushed him off him and checked him over, holding his tongue so he didn't swallow it as he seized.

Then Sam began to shout, suddenly _very_ sober, and sure this would change the very nature of their relationship forever.

Xxxxxxxxx

John popped in and took Dean's head, getting a read on him. Gazing sadly down at the man and nodding. "Stupid fool, we would have found a better way…" He said and looked at Sam.

"I was drunk, there was a bar…this guy was there, and Dean got me out…laid me down then…" Sam's eyes were wide with shock and confusion, dead sober now though and worried sick about Dean. Willing to do anything if Dean would be okay!

Bobby pressed a cloth to his neck and Sam jerked it away to hold the cloth there for himself. "Son, what the hell happened?"

"I was sleeping and woke up to him drinking my blood and we were…having sex…well, he was having sex with me but I got into after I started waking up. He came with me and then…starting shaking!" Sam said frantically. Going to shake Dean now, "Wake up, wake up, it's okay…I'm here." Dean's hand wrapped hard around Sam's as he came around at his words.

"Always?" Dean asked hoarsely. Looking up at John in panic. "Am I? Am I like him now?" He looked at Sam with pleading eyes, "It was the only way."

"To do what? Become a demon! Dean, what were you thinking?" Sam demanded but still held his hand.

"Only way, so I could save you from Hell when I had to." Dean said smiling as he slept now, happy it had worked. "I can go get you now, not human anymore."

Sam just looked confused and pissed now. "Someone tell me what is going on, right now or I _will_ go off! So help me…_well!_"

"Sam, I…" John sputtered. Hating how things had went pear-shaped so _fast, damn_ it!

"Is he like me? A demon?" Sam demanded.

"Yes, but contained. With the same Grace yours is held with but a lot less than you have, so he'll show some demon but not much. The eyes, the strength, that kind of thing." John explained. "Still human, too, just demon, also. The sex finished the soulmate bond with you two, like he wanted it to. So you wouldn't be alone and vulnerable to them anymore. You'd really, finally, be _his, _like you wanted to be…and you are now, and he is _yours_."

"We are what? Incestuous demons, that's great!" Sam said in disbelief. He'd left Dean and they had spun out of control much faster than usual, and Dean had done something stupid, like usual, when faced with losing Sam somehow! Why hadn't he seen this coming?

"Demons are _not_ incestuous! They aren't even related so that doesn't even factor in, son. But, yes, you are Mated now, lovers. Not related, mind you, not anymore." John said and sighed again. "He knew that would happen, it's why he did it. So he could take care of you better, protect you better, at least in his eyes."

"Sam, we can explain. You remember the guy at the bar, the one that was coming onto you?" John asked and Sam nodded, cuddling the sleeping Dean to him and laying down to hold him, covering their nudity but not dressing, the others noticed. He didn't seem to mind that part at all, just cuddled him tighter and kept him close now, possessively. "My Demon Mate, I love you…"Sam whispered in his ear and Dean smiled in his sleep, rolling over to wrap arms around Sam now tightly, Sam not letting go of him at all as he did it.

They told him about the bar, the demons, the plan, and how they were trying to come up with a way to protect him without Dean going to Hell to save him and Dean burst in, said what he said then ran out. Then this happened.

"Was he right? Did this fix it?" Sam asked and Bobby looked at John who smiled sadly again.

"Yes, it's fixed. They can't touch you if he's…like _this_ and with you. He'll be obsessed with you now, possessive, and bordering on stalkerish. Psychotically and Sociopathically focused on you and your safety. Not that different than how he normally is about you really…strangely enough, the way he's always been about you and you alone…huh, isn't that an interesting concept? Should have seen that one coming…yep. Well, can't be helped, Demon Mates are clingy and just like _that_. Most are _worse_ really; Dean's case will be mild by Demon standards really…" John said quietly, doubting that set their minds at ease at all. "He'll never leave your side now, so get used to it. And sex is constant so expect it. Demon Mates are horny things." He chuckled. "Most kill anything that comes near enough to threaten their Mates or if they even think someone will hurt them. Dean will just glare and make sure they know you are _his_…jealous but _not_ murderous. Consider yourself lucky, he could have been affected so much worse."

"So we're safe now?" Sam asked, daring to hope.

"Yes, you are. He will be more than strong enough to defend you now and Bobby and them are here, and the others are around. I sent them a mind message so they know what's happened. You need to watch traps with him, see what affects him, Bobby." John warned then went to go. "The demons are outside the gate watching you. I thought you should know. They just arrived."

"They also just _'left'_." Dante said from behind them, setting Dorian down beside him. Staring down at Dean with dread. "What did he do _now?_"

"Turned himself into a demon…to keep Sam safer from them." Bobby muttered in irritation. "To be able to fight them better. And to be able to go into Hell and get him if they took him there." He sighed at the sight of them cuddling, shaking his head. "Idjits, he didn't have to do that…"

"No, he didn't but…it fixed it…didn't it?" Sam said fondly. "He always knows _just_ how to _fix_ things to protect me and takes care of me; always finds me to save me. He seems to always know the right solution, even when we don't half the time."

"He does." Dante agreed and smiled down at the sleeping man/demon. "Demonic cousins. I can live with that. I got one more over here." He said raising a brow at Dorian who punched him in the arm for that crack.

"Damn straight." Dorian said and frowned. "But…he doesn't smell like a demon to me."

"Me either." Dante said frowning, "Don't feel like one either… why is that?" He looked to Bobby who nodded.

"He is a demon, but…" Bobby said then explained it all to them and they looked shocked but believed it. It made sense.

"So he is a demon but the Grace cloaks him as human?" Dorian asked and they looked like they were thinking of how to phrase something.

"Well, they are demons, that's true. But also are human-ish. God's Grace he gave Sam holds back the demonicness, most of it. In Sam anyway, it hides it all. In Dean, he only got a little Grace when he drank and had sex with Sam, so his demonness will show more." Bobby said and explained how he'd be now toward Sam. "He'll be one possessively jealous Demon Mate toward him but…he'll keep him safer now by being that way."

"He was always that way, just in a brotherly way. Now it's different but he'll be the same, we've come to expect it." Dante chuckled. Raising a lid of an eye to see Dean's eyes now, there were whites still but the pupil and iris were missing and they glowed gold, molten gold. "That's odd, his eyes are gold not black…" Checking his mouth, little fangs, really _small_ ones in place of the canines, like normal teeth but sharper, like a puppy's. "Fangs and, Sam, lift a hip, you're lying on his…_stuff_…" Sam adjusted and saw them. Wings, big ones nearly three times the length and breadth of his body itself, leathery with feathers at the top and around the edges, black and silver, and they were half furled behind Dean and he had a tail, a long ass _really_ long tail, that at the moment showed his possessiveness of Sam as it ran over Sam's hip and onto him, and was currently wrapped around Sam's waist and locked there!

"His demon form shows when he sleeps." John said not surprised. "When he's awake, it will not. He can call for it if he needs it though. He sees himself as his Protector now and this form is the one he wanted to take to do it." He went to go now. "He'll be fine, he's still Dean." Then John was gone. Leaving them with a demon in Sam's bed that wouldn't let him go, and Sam not wanting him to either.

So they left them alone to sleep and went to talk privately.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Dante, you said they _'left'_. What did you mean?" Bobby asked.

"I burned them into ash, they are dead. Sam is safe and will be from now on with Dean this way." Dante chuckled. "You have to admit, the role suits him, Bobby." He nodded their way. "He's been protecting him all his damn life, now is no different, trust me. He just decided he needed a new way of doing it, that's all. Plus, they will be much happier now."

"Yeah, but the question is, will I?" Bobby grumbled as he headed to bed, telling them to choose a room and he'd see them in the morning.

"Probably not." Dorian teased and called down to him, heading to her usual room. "They are going to put bunnies to shame…poor little things." Then laughed at Bobby's expression. Dante laughing with her as he took the room next hers.

All they got back was a groan and a door shutting. Bobby was groaning at that prospect.

And they hadn't even gotten started having sex yet! Boy, he was in for a surprise!

Xxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Sam took it upon himself to make love to Dean as soon as he took human form again, something Dean didn't object to in the least! In fact, they stayed in bed in the early hours of the morning, for three hours, taking turns with each other and thought that they had to thank those Angels for helping them see this. They were right; they really were great together sexually! The orgasms alone were mind blowing!

Then headed downstairs, walking stiffly but happily. Dean slipped on his dark sunglasses to hide his eyes better first, just to be careful. Ignoring their looks and offering to drive Ralph and Lila to school for Bobby, who had said he had some research to pick up from Jodi in town. They took the grocery list and cash and collected the kids, who were running late for school since they didn't want to get up on time, no matter how loud the adults yelled for them to do so, and helped with the errands.

Dean cuddled Sam to him in the front seat and kissed his temple as he drove, happy he finally had what he wanted. Sam safe and still his to Protect. Not Lila or John, or anyone else! Him! But he still loved his family and would be human for them, too. Be himself with them, like he used to be. He still felt like himself, but could feel the tightness in his skin, the movement of the demon inside him wanting out, the wings and things hiding and moving under it. All of it alive and waiting to come out. His fangs were gone and he was normal looking, except for his eyes, they were no longer green but molten gold, shimmering with white around them, no pupil or iris to detract from their glow. Sam said they were beautiful, even if they weren't green anymore. His demon-self hiding for the most part, not coming out otherwise. He seemed and felt human enough, they all had reassured him earlier. At least he was until he went to sleep or called it to him. Otherwise the demon was quiet in him and he liked that part, too.

He was still Dean Winchester, just _different_.

And was damn sure Sam would _never_ go into another gay bar _ever_ again! He didn't have to now…

He had Dean. And Dean was sure he'd be enough to keep him that way. And away from any demon who dared to even consider trying to seduce his demon Mate! He'd see them dead first; well and truly, '_most painful death he could arrange'_ dead!

To keep Sam as _his_!

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Lila stole away to a corner and unzipped her bag, looking around to make sure no one was around. Using her demon telepathy, she now said. _'Sibyl?'_

The pup popped it's head out partially and gave her a doggy smile. _'Yes, Demon girl?'_

"_I told you not to call me that."_ Lila said knowing it would do no good. Her pup had picked up this habit from Ralph's pup. She knew she may as well give up now but saw no reason not to tease the pup anyway. But still eyed the interior of the backpack worriedly, considering buying a much bigger one, to offer it more room. _'You okay in there? Not cramped?'_ She'd found herself unable to leave the poor thing behind that morning. So she'd hid it in her backpack; sure she could hide it until football practice, then let it out to go invisible and stay by her side while Ralph practiced until Bobby picked them both up.

'_I'm okay.'_ The pup sent and popped out of sight again as the adult approached. Lila quickly zipped it shut again and the pup got quiet as it could.

"Young lady, the bell rang five minutes ago. You are late for class." The teacher said and frowned in disapproval.

"I was just making sure I had all my books for class, sorry. Won't happen again, I promise. Sorry, ma'am." Lila said quickly and fled to her first class, careful not to jostle the pup in her bag too much.

The teacher watched the girl go and her eyes went black for a moment, sending a report back to Hell and the demon girl's father. '_The child is fine, and the pup is a hellhound like you thought, it will protect her well. I sensed human in it, strange…'_

'_It is not a mere 'pup'. It is a Huntling, hellhound with a human soul in dog form, spawn of Sam Winchester as a dog and his Hellhound Mate from another world, a powerful pair with powerful pups. It holds great power inside it and no demon can touch her or that pup."_ His Ruler sent the Guardian. _'It is a human Hunter, like its father, but in dog form, we should be careful how close we guard her around it now…if she keeps insisting on keeping the pup with her so much…I fear it will sense you if you get too close. Hunters tend to be able to do that, you know. So be careful, Galek.' _He sent.

'_I will, My Lord.'_ Galek sent back, bowing mentally to his Master and then felt the connection end. And resumed his way, as her Math teacher, Susan Simmons, to the classroom to wait out the first class of the day, dreading the kids that would pour through that door in an hour but knowing there was one there that he would be eager to see and give him very life for if it called for it.

But was sure it wouldn't now. That pup, once full grown, would protect the girl better than any demon Guardian ever could; even one as powerful as him.

Sibyl would be a good Guardian for the girl, he could tell that already. But worried she might need some food or water soon, what with being confined in that backpack that way. But was sure that Lila would find a way to care for those needs for the pup as well, like a good Hunter would for her Huntling, hellhound or not.

She clearly loved that pup too much not take care of it properly, such a lucky Huntling she was.

xxxxxxxxxxx


End file.
